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38 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 18, 2021 UConn Professor Fumiko Hoeft has received many awards for her research, including the Science Educator Award from the Society for Neuroscience, the Translation award from the International Mind, Brain & Education Society (IMBES), the Transforming Education through Neuroscience Award from the Learning and the Brain Foundation, and the Norman Geschwind Memorial Lecturer Award from the International Dyslexia Association. Fumiko Hoe, a professor in the UConn Department of Psychological Sciences, has performed pioneering research on the neurological mechanisms underlying conditions like dyslexia. Hoe is the director of UConn's Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC). Her work is paving the way for new discovery in neuroscience, including: • Developing new biological theories of the causes of dyslexia; • Understanding how the brains of underrepresented minorities, such as ESL students, develop during learning; • Testing the utility of EdTech on how we can screen and prevent COVID learning loss; • Understanding the socio-emotional and mental health impact of being a neurodiverse learner; and • Creating personalized reading interventions by using a child's brain structure, function, and chemistry to predict which interventions will work best for them. rough programs like Bridging Reading And Intervention with Neuroscience (B.R.A.I.N.) Camp, co-led by Hoe and Associate Professor Devin Kearns from the Neag School of Education, BIRC's research has a direct impact on children struggling with reading. "When it comes to teaching children with learning disabilities, early intervention is key to academic outcome, self-esteem, and life success," says Hoe. B.R.A.I.N. Camp provides 3rd and 4th grade students with five weeks of evidence-based interventions, predicts who will respond to intervention, and tracks their progress using MRIs and EEGs. UConn hosted the five-week, all-expenses-included summer camp in July, drawing some students from as far as Virginia to take part in the program. Beyond understanding the biological foundations of dyslexia and investigating real-world applications of her research through programs like B.R.A.I.N Camp, Hoe's approach emphasizes advocacy. She is working with the Connecticut Task Force for Dyslexia and national advocacy organizations to promote awareness and develop policies that ensure that neurodiverse children have full access to educational opportunities that respond to their personal learning characteristics. UConn Research Supports Neurodiverse Learners rough Basic Science, Community Engagement, and Advocacy A student from East Hartford perfects the recipe to make Oobleck during UConn's summer B.R.A.I.N. Camp, where experiments like these join with daily reading and math exercises and weekly EEG scans. UConn Research: a strong partner in Connecticut's future. research.uconn.edu