New $35.5 million center for mind, brain and learning created at UW A Center for Mind, Brain and Learning to conduct innovative research on early brain and behavioral development has been created at the University of Washington with a $35.5 million pledge from the Seattle-based Talaris Research Institute.

New $35.5 million center for mind, brain and learning created at The center will work jointly with Talaris, which was established in August, to promote new discoveries about the developing human mind and to disseminate the results of this research to help parents, educators and policymakers improve the lives of young children.

Patricia Kuhl, UW speech and hearing sciences professor, and Andrew Meltzoff, UW psychology professor, have been named co-directors of the interdisciplinary center. Kuhl and Meltzoff are inter- nationally known for their research on child development and the brain mechanisms underlying learning.

Talaris has committed the $35.5 million to the UW both directly and through joint-development efforts to advance the research of the center. One million dollars already has been provided to launch the center and the balance will be contributed over the next five years. John Medina, a former UW developmental molecular biologist, is the director of Talaris and Sam Smith, former president of Washington State University, is the president of the institute's board of directors. Bruce and Jolene McCaw are the primary financial benefactors of Talaris.

"The University of Washington has long been in the forefront of research on learning," said UW President Richard L. McCormick. "With this significant financial support from the Talaris Research Institute and with our partnership to ensure that our research developments are quickly made available to the practitioner community, the University will continue as a path breaker in assuring practical and effective uses for our discoveries. We are extremely excited to join in partnership to furth
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Contact: Joel Schwarz
joels@u.washington.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington
13-Dec-2000