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Sveta Mayer

My CV

  • Education:

    King’s College London, BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences; King’s College London, PhD Biological Sciences; Institute of Psychiatry, MSc Neuroscience (Merit); Brunel University, QTS Science.

  • Qualifications:

    BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences; PhD Biological Sciences; MSc Neuroscience (Merit); QTS Science.

  • Work History:

    Following my PhD at King’s College London, my post-doctoral work first at King’s College and then at University of Kentucky, USA was on pre-clinical research into the effects of a neuropharmaceutical treatment for alcohol abstinence. While doing this I became interested in the potential of preventative educational therapy that might mitigate onset of conditions such as alcoholism. So, I decided to become a qualified teacher to learn about pedagogy and designing educational activities. I worked in the school setting and became involved in participatory research with fellow practitioners. I brought all this forward to what I do today working in my current job at the Institute of Education, University of London.

  • Current Job:

    I am a lecturer at UCL Institute of Education, University of London. I teach on the MA Early Years and Primary Years Education course, MSc/MA Educational Neuroscience course as well as on Research Methods modules for Master’s and MPhil/PhD students. My research work is interdisciplinary within the field of educational neuroscience and I work and collaborate with educational experts, neuroscientists and educationalists.

  • About Me:

    I am a university lecturer and my work involves research, teaching and supervising master’s and doctoral students.  Much of my research and teaching work focuses on design, development and evaluation of educational interventions informed by neuroscience.  My work is in early and primary years but I take a developmental perspective to make sure educational intervention in these early phases has an effect in later years.

  • Read more

    For design and development of educational interventions I work with interdisciplinary researchers and use participatory methods to work collaboratively with expert practitioners and children engaging them as co-researchers. To evaluate intervention effectiveness I currently conduct case studies, randomised controlled trials and surveys using education and psychometric observational tests, eye-tracking methods, audio-video recordings, computer-interface interaction data and mixed methods questionnaires and interviews.

  • My Typical Day:

    My day is varied and typically involves working on one or more duties in relation to: research projects I’m involved in, teaching and mentoring my masters and doctoral students both face-to-face and online, working with colleagues to develop teaching programmes as well as marking assignments and preparing for exam boards.

  • My Interview

    • What topics do you work on?

      My work focuses on design, development and evaluation of educational interventions informed by neuroscience. In particular, to support social and emotional cognition and self-regulation in primary age children who have developmental delays or deficits, either because they are growing up in deprived areas or they have the neurodevelopment disorder autism.

      What methods do you use?

      For design and development of educational interventions I work with interdisciplinary researchers and use participatory methods to work collaboratively with expert practitioners and children engaging them as co-researchers. To evaluate intervention effectiveness I currently conduct case studies, randomised controlled trials and surveys using education and psychometric observational tests, eye-tracking methods, audio-video recordings, computer-interface interaction data and mixed methods questionnaires and interviews.

      Who was your favourite teacher?

      There are several teachers I can remember who I would say are my favourites. What they had in common is that they not only developed my interest in science, they were quick to challenge me if I struggled with my understanding helping me develop myself as a learner. Later I learned the name for this was metacognition!

      Me and my work

      I am a university lecturer and my work involves research, teaching and supervising master’s and doctoral students. Much of my research and teaching work focuses on design, development and evaluation of educational interventions informed by neuroscience as I mentioned before. My work is in early and primary years but I take a developmental perspective to make sure educational intervention in these early phases has an effect in later years.

      Typical day

      My day is varied and typically involves working on one or more duties in relation to: research projects I’m involved in, teaching and mentoring my masters and doctoral students both face-to-face and online, working with colleagues to develop teaching programmes as well as marking assignments and preparing for exam boards.

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