The Opportunities and Challenges of Science-Practice Partnerships for Promoting Learning

About the Speakers:

Jason Yeatman, Stanford Graduate School of Education

Dr. Jason Yeatman is an Associate Professor at Stanford University, specializing in the neurobiology of literacy and brain plasticity, with appointments in both Education and Medicine. He directs the Brain Development and Education Lab, focusing on understanding how children learn to read, how these processes differ in dyslexia, and designing effective literacy interventions. His research utilizes advanced neuroimaging techniques to explore how reading instruction influences brain development and learning outcomes.

Luciana Alves, Federal University of Minas Gerias

Dr. Luciana Alves is currently a professor in the Department of Speech Therapy at the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Minas Gerais and in the Postgraduate Program in Speech Therapy Sciences at the School of Medicine of UFMG. She has experience in the area of speech therapy, with an emphasis on language and public health, working mainly on the following topics: written and oral Language, public health and educational speech therapy, in the clinical, organizational, research, extension and teaching areas.

Karine Roncete, Equidade.info

With a PhD in Education from the Federal University of Ouro Preto and a visiting researcher at Stanford University, Karine Roncete currently serves as a Member of the Scientific Council at Equidade.Info, where she coordinated research on reading competence in Brazil. Her previous experience in overseeing educational projects at Adapt Edtech, combined with expertise in educational assessment and e-learning, enables her to develop and support innovative initiatives in education. Her team continually strives to enhance teaching and learning practices, with the goal of promoting equity and educational excellence.

Lucas Klotz, Equidade.info

Lucas Klotz is an economist with a bachelor's degree from Universidade Federal do Paraná and a master's degree in Economics from Universidade de Brasília. With experience in data collection and analysis in education, Klotz has a strong interest in economic development and empirical research. His goal is to build a career focused on research and policy-making.

Guilherme Lichand, Stanford Graduate School of Education

Dr. Guilherme Lichand is an Assistant Professor of Education at Stanford University, co-Director of the Stanford Lemann Center, and a faculty affiliate at both the Stanford King Center on Global Development and the Stanford Center on Early Childhood. Lichand is also the co-founder of Movva, an EdTech platform that supports vulnerable students in completing college. Holding a PhD from Harvard, he previously served as the UNICEF Professor of Child Well-being and Development at the University of Zurich, with his award-winning research published in leading journals such as PNAS and Nature Human Behavior.

Diego Calegari, Secretary of Education of Joinville/SC

Diego Calegari holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Administration from UFSC and a postgraduate degree in Leadership and Public Management from CLP. He has experience as a student leader, professor, consultant, and entrepreneur in the fields of communication, innovation, and education. Calegari served as Director of Innovation and Technology at the Santa Catarina State Department of Education and as Manager of Human and Smart Cities for the City of Joinville. He also founded Politize!, a social impact startup that promotes civic education in an easy, engaging, and non-partisan way, reaching millions across Brazil.

Aryaman Taore, Stanford Graduate School of Education

Aryaman Taore is a lead ML engineer and vision neuroscientist, currently a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford, where he focuses on advancing multimodal LLMs for healthcare, integrating speech and gaze data to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders. Their previous work includes developing custom CNNs for accessible health screenings and creating image classification algorithms for Beckhoff Automation, which are used by over 10,000 enterprises. Additionally, Taore founded LazyAz, a successful on-demand delivery startup that achieved $1 million ARR within three years.

Bruce McCandliss, Stanford Graduate School of Education

Bruce McCandliss is a cognitive neuroscientist whose research explores the neural mechanisms behind learning, focusing on language, literacy, and mathematics. His work integrates electrophysiology (EEG), behavioral data, and cognitive assessments, with key publications on language acquisition, nonnative speech perception, and interactions between auditory and visual processing in the brain. Currently, in collaboration with a local school, he investigates the neural basis of learning in children to inform and enhance educational practices.

Renan Ferreirinha, Secretary of Education of Rio de Janeiro/RJ

Renan Ferreirinha is a key figure in the COVID-19 Commission, instrumental in the impeachment of former Governor Wilson Witzel. He rigorously monitored government spending during the pandemic, exposing numerous irregularities and corruption while advocating for the people. As President of the Economy Committee in the Alerj, he has also led significant reforms, including the first-ever parliamentary cabinet selection process, which drew over 4,500 candidates.