Outgoing US president Joe Biden honours rising Exeter research star

In his final days as US president, Joe Biden honoured an Exeter professor for his work in defining how the brain processes numbers and develops numerical skills.

Professor Gavin Price, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Exeter, is one of just 400 academics worldwide to be awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The accolade is considered the highest honour bestowed by the US government for exceptional scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. 

Speaking of this achievement Professor Price said: “I’m truly honoured to receive this prestigious award. It reflects, I hope, the important role that basic science research can play in contributing to individual and societal health and wellbeing. I’m sincerely grateful to the many mentors, trainees, and colleagues who have been instrumental to my research and to my professional and personal development.” 

Professor Price’s work, spanning two decades, utilises brain scanning tools such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and has provided foundational information on how brain systems recognise and process numerical and symbolic information.  

Professor Price’s academic journey began by completing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of York (UK) in 2003, marking the start of his distinguished career.  After completing his PhD in Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, in 2008, Dr Price committed his study to understanding how the brain comprehends numerical and symbolic information. His research explores how we recognise numbers, assign value to symbols, and questions how these processes differ among individuals with mathematical learning difficulties. He moved from Vanderbilt University in the USA to join Exeter in 2022.

Professor Sallie Lamb, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the University of Exeter’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, commended Professor Price on his award, saying: “Congratulations to Gavin on receiving this prestigious international award. It is an incredible honour to be recognised by a US president, and testament to the global impact of Professor Price’s research, which will make a meaningful difference to people’s lives. It also underscores the value of cutting-edge techniques to foster innovative, world-leading research.”