Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychology · UCL · Fellow of the British Academy
Understanding how the brain counts.
Areas of Work
How the brain processes numbers
Prof. Butterworth's pioneering research revealed that humans — and many animals — are born with an innate "number sense." His work on the brain's intraparietal sulcus has reshaped our understanding of how we count, calculate, and reason with quantity.
Championing recognition of a hidden learning difference
Dyscalculia affects 5–7% of the population worldwide, yet remains vastly under-diagnosed. Prof. Butterworth has spent decades advocating for recognition, developing the first standardised screener, and working with governments and educators to change policy.
Bridging neuroscience and the classroom
From advising the UK Department for Education to developing evidence-based intervention tools, Prof. Butterworth's mission is to ensure every learner with dyscalculia gets the support they need.
Dyscalculia Resources →Most mathematics education focuses on: rote memorisation, procedural drilling, and standardised testing.
About the Author
A leading cognitive neuroscientist renowned for his pioneering research on how the brain processes numbers.
Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychology at University College London, Brian taught at Cambridge for eight years, has held visiting appointments at MIT and the Max Planck Institute, and was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 2002.
With over 230 published papers and several bestselling books, his work has been instrumental in developing effective interventions for dyscalculia and transforming how we understand mathematical cognition.
Read Full Biography →Featured Video
Published Works
1999
The bestselling revelation that we are born with a "number module" — how humans (and many animals) are hardwired for arithmetic.
2nd Ed · 2025
The definitive bridge between neuroscience and the classroom. Updated intervention evidence, new chapters on the arithmetical brain.
Order from Routledge2022
A fascinating exploration of numerical abilities across the entire animal kingdom — from honeybees to chimpanzees.
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Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, Vol. 4, No. 1, 1975 Introduction The investigation of cognitive planning processes underlying the generation of spontaneous speech has recently focused attention on what might be…
Read MoreIf you look on the Department for Education (DfE) website for “dyscalculia,” what you get is this: Group 1 – Car and Motorcycle:Mild learning disability. Learning difficulty is not included.Dyslexia,…
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