A project led by the University of St. Andrews in Scotland is set to explore the genetic basis of dyslexia, and last week it was awarded a supplementary research grant from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The £10,000 funding boost has been awarded to the project Specific Learning Disorders in Scotland, which is led by Dr, Silvia Paracchini FRSE, a reader in St. Andrews University’s world-renowned School of Medicine.

The funding will, amongst other things, go towards the organisation of a workshop set to be held in Summer 2022 to bring together researchers on a cross-disciplinary basis who are united by a common research interest in dyslexia, dyscalculia and other speech and language difficulties that people commonly experience. It’s set to open a dialogue between the research community and families, teachers and charities in order to facilitate a better understanding of learning disorders through the lens of the people who experience them, and explore the lived experience as well as the scientific side of dyslexia, dyscalculia and similar conditions. The goal is to shape the direction of research to make it relevant to the people whose life it impacts every day, and use those life experiences to inform the academic dialogue going forward.

Dr Paracchini’s research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of dyslexia and learning difficulties. Joining forces with Dr Michelle Luciano, a reader at the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, it’s a collaborative project that’s designed to expand the current understanding of dyslexia in general, and open up the idea of linking research and the communities that it effects.

Speaking about the community collaborative aspects of the project, Dr Paracchini said: “By bringing people together to engage and discuss ideas through this workshop, we hope to raise awareness of these conditions and formulate a coordinated research agenda for Scotland and beyond [...] Setting up such a network and engaging with families and teachers is extremely important, yet not typically supported by traditional funding schemes.”

You can find out more about the project at The University of St. Andrews.