Bridging Early Literacy, Brain Research, and AI Innovation with Dr. Ola Ozernov-Palchik

On this episode of Trending in Ed with Mike Palmer, unlock the secrets of the reading brain and the future of educational technology in this deep dive with Dr. Ola Ozernov-Palchik. A researcher at Boston University's Wheelock College of Education and Human Development and MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Dr. Ola sits at the cutting edge of cognitive neuroscience and the science of reading. 🧠 We explore why 70% of students in the U.S. are not reading proficiently and how early identification of dyslexia—starting as early as kindergarten—can change the trajectory of a child’s life. We also explore the "last infinite mile" of education: the gap between groundbreaking research and actual classroom practice. The devil is in the details. Dr. Ola shares her journey from evaluating reading curricula to using fMRI and machine learning to predict learning difficulties. We also tackle the massive shift toward AI-driven tutoring and the evidence-based AI movement. Are we rushing into a multi-billion dollar tech bandwagon without proof of what actually works? Ola makes a compelling case for why we must demand rigorous evidence before putting new tools in the hands of students. Learn more about her work launching a Research-Based Accelerator here.📚 Whether you are a parent, educator, or an EdTech founder, this conversation is a must-listen to understand how we can leverage learning science, research, and emerging technology to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive. If you enjoyed this episode,

You can listen to Bridging Early Literacy, Brain Research, and AI Innovation with Dr. Ola Ozernov-Palchik online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Bridging Early Literacy, Brain Research, and AI Innovation with Dr. Ola Ozernov-Palchik is an episode from Trending In Education by Michael Palmer.

This episode is 46:18 long.

This episode was published on Jan 16, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Trending In Education when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.