Network co-chairs
We are a team of scientists with decades of experience in researching neurodevelopmental conditions. Our work is underpinned by multidisciplinary and international partnership, as progress in this field can only be by large collaborative efforts. Recently, such approach enabled us to identify 42 genes significantly associated with dyslexia. These results present exciting opportunities to explore the specific learning skills and cognitive processes underlying dyslexia, and the co-occurrence of dyslexia with other developmental conditions. This work provides a biological model to make significant advances in the field of specific learning difficulties.
Prof Silvia Paracchini, FRSE
Prof Paracchini graduated in Biological Sciences (cum laude) from the University of Pavia in 1998 and obtained a DPhil in Human Genetics from Oxford University in 2003. She conducted her post-doctoral training in Prof. Anthony Monaco’s group at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, where she became interested in dyslexia genetics. In 2011, she was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to set up her group at The University of St Andrews where she continues to investigates the genetics of specific learning difficulties and cognitive abilities. In 2013, she became member of the Young Academy of Scotland and then was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB; 2018) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE; 2019). In 2024 she was appointed as Professor of Neurodevelopmental Genomics at the University of Bonn.
Prof Michelle Luciano
Prof Luciano is a Reader in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on the genetic and environmental aetiology underlying human development and behaviour. One of her main research interests is to understand what causes the variation between people in how well they read and use language. And to do this, she uses behavioural genetic research methods. This includes twin and extended pedigree designs, molecular genetic techniques, epigenetic, and gene x environment interaction modelling. She has most recently led an international collaboration which has discovered significant genes associated with dyslexia.
Michelle is co-lead of the Mapping Data Cohorts working group, alongside Silvia Paracchini.
About the Project
SLDN Infographic July 2025
SLDN poster
SLDN overview leaflet (2-page)