Bryan Cook

Bryan Cook is a Professor at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development, specializing in Curriculum, Instruction & Special Education. He focuses on advancing open science, crowdsourcing, and evidence-based practices in special education, with recent work addressing inclusion of students with disabilities, research transparency, and AI integration in IEP development.

• Ph.D. (1997), M.A. (1994), B.A. (1990) from University of California, Santa Barbara
• Co-director of the Special Education Research Accelerator (SERA) and Aletheia Society

His research emphasizes:

• Promoting open-science practices (preregistration, data sharing, Registered Reports)
• Meta-research on questionable research practices and publication bias
• Replication studies to strengthen special education evidence

Recent articles highlight trends in:

• Open-access publishing and research equity
• AI applications for IEP goals and inclusive pedagogy
• Community-driven open science networks

Scientific awards include:

• $2.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant (2025) for doctoral training on evidence-based practices

Cook co-founded the diamond open-access journal Research in Special Education (RiSE) with William J. Therrien, eliminating paywalls for both readers and authors. His work also spans collaborations with the CASPER Consortium and advocacy for transparent research practices.