The Science-based Innovation in Learning Center (SILC) is an innovative new cross-disciplinary center spanning the University of California system. The Center will provide services, training, advocacy, and research to help tackle issues associated with education and health disparity, with a particular emphasis on underrepresented populations. The ultimate goal is to provide the best educational and health outcomes for all children, regardless of their background. An initial focus is on early identification and intervention for English language learners (ELLs) at risk for learning challenges.

The central office of SILC is hosted at brainLENS (brainLENS.org) at the University of California, San Francisco at the main Parnassus Campus. brainLENS is a developmental cognitive neuroscience laboratory that uses neuroimaging and interdisciplinary research methods to examine learning processes, including the acquisition of skills, such as reading, and factors that impact learning, such as socio-emotional processing.