What made this lecture so special was the presence of my research collaborators and educators – the audience was as merged as the message of the lecture – that research and education can be two sides of the same coin and create a truly fulfilling career.
Professor Eleanor Dommett, Professor of Neuroscience at King's IoPPN
03 June 2024
Bridging education and research: Professor Eleanor Dommett delivers her inaugural lecture
On Tuesday 21 May, Professor Eleanor Dommett delivered her inaugural lecture as Professor of Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN).
Professor Eleanor Dommett joined King’s College London in 2015 with the aim of developing and establishing the BSc Psychology degree. Her academic journey began much earlier, with a PhD from Sheffield University, where she explored how dopamine activity could be modulated by the superior colliculus – an area of the midbrain – in response to visual stimuli. This research laid the foundation for her later work on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the impact of psychostimulant drugs on brain structure.
At King’s, Professor Dommett has continued to build on her early research. She now leads the ADHD Research Lab, which seeks to explore the experiences associated with ADHD and the value of non-drug treatments such as exercise, diet and mindfulness and those that might impact the colliculus.
In addition to her neuroscience research, Professor Dommett conducts pedagogic research, specifically into the use of educational technology. She has investigated the effectiveness of lecture capture and virtual learning environments, aiming to enhance the learning experience for students. Her efforts in this area have been instrumental in positioning the BSc Psychology programme at King’s as one of the top in the UK.
The lecture, titled “Merging of education and research: A journey from the midbrain out”, highlighted Professor Dommett’s journey to Professor of Neuroscience at King’s and her work across neuroscience, pedagogy and education.
Watch the full lecture below:
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Professor of Neuroscience