Guinevere Eden, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Director, Center for the Study of Learning

• B.Sc, University College London, 1989, Physiology
• D. Phil., Oxford University, 1993, Physiology

Contact Information:

Center for the Study of Learning Georgetown University Medical Center BOX 571406 Suite 150, Building D 4000 Reservoir Road, NW Washington, DC 20057 T: 202-784-4407 F: 202-784-2414 Contact Information

Our research is interdisciplinary in nature and performed within the Center for the Study of Learning (CSL), a NICHD supported center. The principal goal of our studies is to delineate the neural mechanisms of learning disabilities with particular emphasis on dyslexia. Reading is a fundamental means of communication and children who have difficulty in acquiring this important and uniquely human skill are severely disadvantaged. Functional brain imaging technology (functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI) offers an opportunity to examine the neural signature of those skills known to be important for the acquisition of good reading skills. Phonological processing deficits have been identified as a hallmark of the reading disability developmental dyslexia. While less behaviorally evident, specific sensory processing problems have also been identified in individuals with dyslexia and therefore analysis of sensorimotor functions is an important component of our research program. FMRI provides a way to visualize the functional anatomy underlying the behavioral manifestations that have been observed in children and adults with developmental dyslexia or hyperlexia. This technology is also used to examine how the neural representation of reading is organized in individuals with altered early sensory experiences, such as in the case of deafness. Due to its non-invasive nature, it is possible to employ fMRI to study the neurobiological correlates of reading remediation. In this way, we are able to examine how reading is impacted by instructions or mode of communication. Together these lines of investigation should facilitate the development of better treatment approaches for children with dyslexia and other learning disorders.

Representative Publications:

• Eden, G. F., Jones, K.M., Cappell, K., Gareau, L., Wood, F.B., Zeffiro, T.A., Dietz, N.A.E., Agnew, J.A. and Flowers, D.L. (2004). Neural changes following remediation in adult developmental dyslexia, Neuron, 44 (3), 411-422.
• Turkeltaub, P. E., Gareau, L., Flowers, D. L., Zeffiro, T. A., Eden, G. F. (2003). Development of neural mechanisms for reading. Nature Neuroscience, 6(7):767-73.
• Eden, G. F. and L. Moats (2002). The role of neuroscience in the remediation of students with dyslexia. Nature Neuroscience, 5, 1080-4.

More Publications at PubMed

Related Links:

• Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN)
• Center for the Study of Learning (CSL)
• Center for Neural Injury & Recovery(CNIR)