BMI hosts distinguished lecturer

John T. Bruer, Ph.D., the president of the James S. McDonnell Foundation and an adjunct professor of philosophy at Washington University, recently gave a lecture entitled, “Bridges and Myths: Brain Science and Education,” to attendees from ASU’s Department of Biomedical Informatics in partnership with the University of Arizona.

During his speech, which was telecasted to ASU’s Tempe campus, Bruer discussed the need to improve communication among researchers, educators and policy makers. His lecture drew from two books he has written about developmental neurobiology. In “Education and the Brain: A Bridge too Far” and “The Myth of the First Three Years,” he claims that the brain science most likely to have implications for education in the future will be cognitive neuroscience. 

Dr. Bruer was appointed as the president of the James S. McDonnell Foundation in 1986. In 1996, he was appointed to the National Science Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board established by Congress. Last year, Bruer was named to the National Science Board.

The James S. McDonnell Foundation awards over $20 million annually to support biomedical research, education and international projects. Since Bruer’s appointment, the Foundation has established new programs in the areas of neuroscience, cancer research, education and child health.