Head: Professor Riikka Korja (UTU), co-heads: professor Elina Mainela-Arnold (UTU) and associate professor Tuire Koponen (JYU)

A child's learning and mental health are influenced by the child's individual developmental trajectories and factors related to the growing environment. Mental health and learning capacities are often interlinked. In this theme, we explore how children's different developmental factors affect their learning, mental health and functioning.

We will follow children's developmental trajectories from infancy to adolescence. We are particularly interested in the individual developmental trajectories of children's self-regulation, executive functions, language, social and emotional factors. We study children's development in relation to their main growth environments: family, daycare, school, friendships and the digital environment.

The interdisciplinary research under this theme will help us to identify early protective and vulnerability factors in development. This knowledge will help us to develop more targeted and timely methods of prevention, support and/or treatment for children with mental health and learning difficulties.

This study is part of the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. https://sites.utu.fi/finnbrain/

Head: professor Paavo Leppänen (JYU), co-heads: associate professor Tuija Aro (JYU) and associate professor Tuire Koponen (JYU)

Children's learning problems often overlap with psychosocial problems as they develop. However, we do not know what factors predispose to this overlap and what factors protect against it. We will investigate the factors that influence this development and the interactions between them. We will also explore why learning problems are a risk for later social and psychological well-being and how the accumulation of risk factors and problems predisposes to adverse development. In addition, we will explore which factors protect or promote development and learning.

We follow schoolchildren in a large-scale follow-up study from first grade to sixth grade. We look at information processing skills (including perception, memory and attention) and brain processes, as well as emotional regulation, motivation and the school, family, friends and digital environment. Our research provides information to be utilized on the development of educational and teaching practices and effective forms of support.

Head: professor Mikko Aro (JYU), co-heads: professors Raimo Lappalainen (JYU) and Hannu Savolainen (UEF)

Individual differences in the benefits of learning and schooling support are large. However, we do not know enough about why some people benefit more and others less from learning support. What role do motivation, learning-related feelings and experiences, well-being, information processing skills and factors such as school and family play in the benefits of support?

We will carry out intervention studies in math, reading and behaviour in collaboration with schools. We will specifically investigate which factors explain the benefits of these interventions. The aim is to use the information gathered from these studies to develop new and more personalised interventions to provide all pupils with the learning support they need.

Head: professor Raija Hämäläinen (JYU), associate professor Noona Kiuru (JYU) and senior researcher Saara Nolvi (UTU)

Social changes always have an impact on the environment in which children grow up. We need more information on how different everyday environments, such as school, family, friends and digital environments, support children's well-being or predispose them to learning problems. In this theme, we will look at the impact of different environmental factors on this development and their role in benefiting from support. We look at the role of the family, the child's peer relationships, the school environment and digital environments in learning and well-being. We are particularly interested in the ways in which individual child factors shape the impact of environments on their learning and well-being.

Head: Research Director Jetro J. Tuulari, co-heads: professor Jarmo Hämäläinen (JYU) and associate professor Piia Astikainen (JYU)

euroimaging provides a window into learning and understanding the information processing of the neural networks involved in the addressed problems. In this theme, we explore the links between cognitive sequencing, socio-emotional and information processing skills and the characteristics of the developing brain. In particular, we are interested in processes related to reading, numeracy and attention and how the skill development and the functional changes of the brain are linked.

We use modern brain research techniques to investigate the different levels of cognitive processes in school learning tasks. We apply specific measures to study the structural and functional development of the brain via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We also measure the brain electrical activity via Electro and Magneto-encephaloglaphy techniques (EEG and MEG), in addition to the autonomic nervous system activation measure (e.g. heart rate). We also study the eye movements during task performance using the eye tracking technique. Often, these different techniques are combined to ensure the best results. Our main aim is to develop new brain and autonomic nervous system measures to investigate the themes and to offer a better understanding of the questions addressed in this unit of excellence.

Head: Asko Tolvanen (JYU), co-heads: professor Minna Torppa (JYU) and senior researcher Harri Merisaari (UTU)

The methods group supports the work of other researchers, especially in the selection and use of sophisticated statistical methods, for example in combining complex data and constructing research designs. In the early stages of the Centre of Excellence, we will use, among other things, previous data to investigate the suitability of different statistical methods for answering complex research questions. We will develop methods for modelling complex and multi-level data, including the use of artificial intelligence applications.