UC Spark

Dr Anna J Wilson

School of Educational Studies and Leadership

Fields of Research

  • Mind, Brain and Education
  • Educational Neuroscience

Researcher Summary

Dr Anna Wilson completed a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, specialising in mathematical cognition in adults and special education.

She then worked for three years as a post-doctoral fellow at INSERM U562 (Paris, France) with Stanislas Dehaene, where she developed an expertise in dyscalculia (mathematical learning disabilities). She designed and tested software for remediation of dyscalculia (“The Number Race”). This open-source software has now been translated into eight different languages.

In 2006, Anna secured funding for a second post-doctoral fellowship project at The University of Auckland, working with Assoc. Prof. Karen Waldie. This project is still ongoing, and uses cognitive and fMRI methods to examine the reasons for the high “co-morbidity”, or co-occurrence, that is seen between dyscalculia and dyslexia.

Research interests
• Mind, brain and education, or educational neuroscience
• Learning disabilities and other individual differences in learning
• Developmental mathematical cognition and cognitive neuroscience
• Causes, symptoms and remediation of dyscalculia (mathematical learning disabilities)
• The role of spatial memory and attention in learning and mathematics

Subject Area: Disciplines

Key Methodologies

  • Quantitative analyses (SPSS, Excel)
  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
  • Event related potentials (ERP)
  • Educational software (Java)
  • Computerised testing (Eprime, Visual Basic)

Affiliations

Research Service

  • Member of International Mind, Brain and Education Society (2009-present)
  • Member of Cognitive Neuroscience Society (2006-present)
  • Member of Human Brain Mapping association (2006-present)

Publications


  • Wilson, A.J., Keir, J., Andrewes, S., Bogdanovic, R., Struthers, H., Maskell, K. and Waldie, K.E. (2010) An fMRI study of the neural bases of comorbidity of dyscalculia and dyslexia in adults. Barcelona, Spain: HBM (Human Brain Mapping), 6-10 Jun 2010. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Waldie, K.E., Andrewes, S., Maskell, K., Rowe, V., Keir, J. and Wilson, A.J. (2010) Brain activity during word rhyming: Are two disorders better than one? Wanaka, New Zealand: AWCBR (Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research), 28 Aug-1 Sept 2010. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Thomas, M.O.J., Wilson, A.J., Corballis, M.C., Lim, V.K. and Yoon, C. (2010) Evidence from cognitive neuroscience for the role of graphical and algebraic representations in understanding function. ZDM: The International Journal on Mathematics Education 42(6): 607-619. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11858-010-0272-7. (Journal Article)
  • Wilson, A.J., Andrewes, S., Maskell, K., Rowe, V., Keir, J., Light, P. and Waldie, K.E. (2010) Neurological bases of developmental dyscalculia in adults, and influence of comorbid dyslexia. Wanaka, New Zealand: AWCBR (Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research), 28 Aug-1 Sept 2010. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Wilson, A.J., Keir, J., Andrewes, S., Light, P., Bogdanovic, R., Struthers, H., Maskell, K. and Waldie, K.E. (2010) Why do learning disabilities co-occur? Behavioural and brain imaging findings from a study on comorbidity of dyslexia and dyscalculia in adults. Zurich, Switzerland: EARLI-SIG 22 (European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction - Special Interest Group 22. Neuroscience and Education), 3-5 Jun 2010. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Räsänen, P., Salminen, J., Wilson, A.J., Aunio, P. and Dehaene, S. (2009) Computer-assisted intervention for children with low numeracy skills. Cognitive Development 24(4): 450-472. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2009.09.003. (Journal Article)
  • Wilson, A.J., Andrewes, S., Lodhia, V., Bogdanovic, R., Struthers, H., Patston, L. and Waldie, K.E. (2009) Developmental dyscalculia in adults: Neuropsychological bases, and influence of comorbid dyslexia. Queenstown, New Zealand: 27th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (AWCBR) 2009, 29 Aug-2 Sep 2009. In Proceedings of the 27th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research 2009 27 67. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Wilson, A. (2009) Disentangling dyscalculia and dyslexia: Co-occurence of numercy and literacy learning disabilities in adults. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: Literacy Research Symposium, 1-2 Oct 2009. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Wilson, A.J., Dehaene, S., Dubois, O. and Fayol, M. (2009) Effects of an Adaptive Game Intervention on Accessing Number Sense in Low-Socioeconomic-Status Kindergarten Children. Mind, Brain, and Education 3(4): 224-234. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-228X.2009.01075.x. (Journal Article)
  • Andrewes, S., Wilson, A.J., Lodhia, V., Bogdanovic, R., Struthers, H., Patston, L. and Waldie, K.E. (2009) Profiles of developmental dyslexia with and without comorbid mathematical learning disabilities (dyscalculia). Queenstown, New Zealand: 27th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (AWCBR) 2009, 29 Aug-2 Sep 2009. In Proceedings of the International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research 2009 27 31. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Lim, V.K., Wilson, A.J., Hamm, J.P., Philipps, N., Iwabuchi, S.J., Corballis, M.C., Arzarello, F. and Thomas, M.O.J. (2009) Semantic processing of mathematical gestures. Brain and Cognition 71(3): 306-312. (Journal Article)
  • Thomas, M.O.J., Wilson, A.J., Corballis, M.C. and Lim, V.K. (2008) Neuropsychological evidence for the role of graphical and algebraic representations in understanding function. Brisbane, Australia: 31st Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA), 28 Jun-1 July 2008. In Navigating currents and charting directions: MERGA 31 515-521. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Wilson, A., Thomas, M., Lim, V. and Corballis, M. (2008) Parietal areas involved in format-independent representation of mathematical functions. Melbourne, Australia: 14th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, 15-19 Jun 2008. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Cohen, L., Wilson, A.J., Izard, V. and Dehaene, S. (2007) Acalculia and Gerstmann’s Syndrome. In O. Godefroy and J. Bogousslavsky (Ed.), Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology of Stroke: 126-147. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter in Book)
  • Cohen, D., Martel, C., Wilson, A. J., Déchambre, N., Amy, C., Duverger, L., Guile, J-M., Pipiras, E., Benzacken, B., Cavé, H., Cohen, L., Héron, D. and Plaza, M. (2007) Brief report: Visual-spatial deficit in a 16-year-old girl with maternally derived duplication of proximal 15q. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 37: 1585-1591. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0228-5. (Journal Article)
  • Blondon, M., Périsse, D., Unni, S-K-E., Wilson, A.J., Mazet, P. and Cohen, D. (2007) L'accueil d'urgence en psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent : evolution sur 20 ans dans un site hospitalo-universitaire. Neuropsychiatrie de l'enfance et de l'adolescence 55: 23-30. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.canterbury.ac.nz/10.1016/j.neurenf.2006.12.005. (Journal Article)
  • Wilson, A.J. and Dehaene, S. (2007) Number Sense and Developmental Dyscalculia. In D. Coch, G. Dawson and K.W. Fischer (Ed.), Human Behavior, Learning, And The Developing Brain: Atypical Development: 212-238. New York: Guilford Press. (Chapter in Book)
  • Wilson, A.J., Revkin, S.K., Cohen, D., Cohen, L. and Dehaene, S. (2006) An open trial assessment of "The Number Race", an adaptive computer game for remediation of dyscalculia. Behavioral and Brain Functions 2(20) (Journal Article)
  • Wilson, A.J. (2006) Dyscalculie développementale: L'approche "neurocognitive". Annals de la Fondation Fyssen 20: 29-37. (Journal Article)
  • Wilson, A.J., Dehaene, S., Pinel, P., Revkin, S.K., Cohen, L. and Cohen, D. (2006) Principles underlying the design of "The Number Race", an adaptive computer game for remediation of dyscalculia. Behavioral and Brain Functions 2(19): online. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-2-19. (Journal Article)
  • Wilson, A. J., Plaza, M., Cohen, L., Cohen, D. and Dehaene, S. (2006) Remediation of number sense in dyscalculia: A cross-over study. Jyväskylä, Finland: NUMBRA Summer School, Jun 2006. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Wilson, A.J., Dehaene, S., Cohen, L. and Cohen, D. (2005) Investigating the developmental plasticity of numerical cognition using an adaptive game remediation program.. New York, USA: Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Apr 2005. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Molko, N., Wilson, A. J. and Dehaene, S. (2005) La dyscalculie développementale, un trouble primaire de la perception des nombres. Médicine et Enfance mars: 165-170. Paris. Magazine. (Other)
  • Wilson, A.J., Revkin, S.K., Dehaene, S., Cohen, L. and Cohen, D. (2005) The number race: Remediation of dyscalculia using adaptive game.. Erice, Italy: NUMBRA (Numeracy and Brain Development) summer school, Jun 2005. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Molko, N., Wilson, A. J. and Dehaene, S. (2004) Dyscalculie, le sens perdu des nombres. La Recherche 379: 42-47. Paris: SA Sophia Publications. Magazine. (Other)
  • Wilson, A. J. (2003) The role of spatial and verbal working memory in approximation and addition. PhD, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA. (Thesis - Doctor of Philosophy)
  • Prinzmetal, B. and Wilson, A. (1997) The effect of attention on phenomenal length. Perception 26(2): 193-205. (Journal Article)
  • Wilson, A. J. (1997) The role of attention in memory recall and the resolution of interference. MSc, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA. (Thesis - Master of Science)