Colwyn Trevarthen
Colwyn Trevarthen, a New Zealander, is Professor (Emeritus) of Child Psychology and Psychobiology at The University of Edinburgh, where he has taught since 1971. He trained as a biologist, has a PhD in psychobiology from Caltech, was a Research Fellow at the Center for Cognitive Studies at Harvard, where his infancy research began, and has published on brain development, infant communication and child learning and emotional health.
He is interested in the natural motives children have for making friends and for learning what other people know, the effects of disorders, such as autism and depressive illness, and how to help parents and teachers give the best care and companionship to young children.
His current research concerns how rhythms and expressions of 'musicality' in movement help communication with children and aid their development and learning.
He has an honorary Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Crete, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters and a Vice-President of the British Association for Early Childhood Education.