From science to practice: leadership lessons from the developing brain

Nathan Wallis is a father of three & foster parent with a professional background in child counselling, teaching and social service management.

He lectured in Human Development at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand and was also a board member and senior trainer with the national body responsible for the dissemination of neuroscientific research to professionals.

He has developed a reputation as a lively and engaging speaker who uses humour and plain language to make this complex topic come to life.

Nathan is a regular on Radio and Television shows in New Zealand, sharing his expertise on child development. In 2010 he founded a private training consultancy, X Factor Education Limited, with the goal of facilitating easy to understand professional development training reflecting the latest neuroscience discoveries and their practical implications for everyday practice. Since then he has been in hot demand, delivering well over 200 presentations year in New Zealand Australia and internationally.

Nathan’s presentations explore how the brain works and how neuroscience can better inform our day to day interactions with children and young people. Information about the human brain (and how it grows to reach full potential) has exploded into our awareness over the past twenty years. The 1990’s were called the ‘decade of the brain’ and advances in scanning technologies allowed us to understand the workings of the brain like never before, showing us the huge significance of the early years and the critical role this period plays in defining later outcomes. These new findings often contradict many of the practices that parents, teachers, and other helping professionals have utilised in the belief that they are helping children. Nathan presents the practical implications of this research with a focus on how to use this knowledge to create better outcomes.