Professor Kim Cornish is a Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor and Director of the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University. She previously worked at McGill University (Montreal) as the Canada Research Chair in developmental neuroscience. Originally from Manchester in the United Kingdom, she has spent thirty years of her career to date tracing the developmental pathways of young children with vulnerable brains—including children with autism, Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome—as well as children who are neurotypical. Most recently, she has focused on the translation of this new knowledge into community-based digital programs, co-designed with educators and families, to help strengthen early cognitive functioning.

Professor Cornish has held senior research positions in three countries (the UK, Canada and Australia) and has been instrumental in disseminating key research outcomes to the media, scientific meetings and parent support groups across the globe. She received her BSc(Hons) from Lancaster University and a PhD from the University of London. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.