How the Brain Works (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781529741957)

Michael Thomas

Since 2010, Michael Thomas has been Director of the University of London Centre for Educational Neuroscience, a cross-institutional research centre which aims to further translational research between neuroscience and education, establish new transdisciplinary accounts in the learning sciences, and develop practical applications within education. In 2003, Michael established the Developmental Neurocognition Laboratory within Birkbeck's world-leading Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development. The focus of the laboratory is to use multi-disciplinary methods to understand the brain and cognitive bases of cognitive variability, including developmental disorders and individual differences. Within educational neuroscience, his work has addressed translation of findings from behaviour genetics and from the study of brain plasticity to educational contexts. He is currently part of projects investigating the effects of mobile phone usage on executive functions skills in adolescence, and evaluating an intervention to improve science and maths learning in primary age children. In 2006, his research lab was the co-recipient of the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education, for the project "Neuropsychological work with the very young: understanding brain function and cognitive development". In Spring 2017, Michael took over as PI of the Infant Stream of the Wellcome-funded LonDownS project, investigating Down syndrome as a molecular model for Alzheimer's disease. Michael is the Director of Postgraduate Studies in Birkbeck's Department of Psychological Sciences. He is a Chartered Psychologist, Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Fellow of the US Association for Psychological Science, and Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. He is author of 90 scientific papers, 5 books, and 30 book chapters.

Simon Green

Senior Lecturer 1973-2017 (retired 2017), Birkbeck University of London. Currently, Associate Lecturer, Birkbeck, Psychological Sciences.

During my long career at Birkbeck I was responsible for teaching first year neuroscience (formerly Psychobiology), and second/third year topics in biological approaches to psychological disorders, neuroscience methods, health psychology, and evolutionary psychology (focused on brain structure, organisation and function). The first year course in introductory neuroscience has been consistently successful with excellent student feedback (which is largely why I have been brought back to continue teaching this important module).

I have had long experience of teaching basic concepts in neuroscience to UG students many of whom were new to the area. My experience with the Psychology A level (I have been a senior examiner for many years) has involved many talks and meetings with A level staff (who often lack experience of psychology in general and neuroscience in particular) and students. This has given me a sound understanding of the problems they find and ways around them, in particular the need to lecture and write with clarity and simplicity. My Introductory text (Principles of Biopsychology, 1994) was concise but covered key areas in an approachable way. Student feedback has been consistently good, and it is still in print. Apparently it also has a steady sale with paramedical professions such as nursing and physiotherapy, which require some basic knowledge of the brain and behaviour. I was approached some years ago by Psychology Press to do a second edition, but it coincided with the arrival of twin boys and I did not have the time to take it on. Things have settled, and I would be keen to be involved in a further introductory text, particularly one with such an innovative approach.