The Developmental Neuroanalytics Lab takes an environment-gene-brain-behavior, lifespan development, individual differences approach to understand, predict, and improve social outcomes for all individuals. Students are provided with hands-on experience processing and analyzing developmental cognitive neuroscience data including infant longitudinal neuroimaging data, eye-tracking, cognitive, behavioral, and diagnostic, assessments.
Social relationships are critical for human health and happiness. These relationships are so important that we enter the world seemingly primed to take in social information; within the first few hours of life, newborns already show a perceptual bias to social stimuli like faces and voices. These early perceptual biases are thought to set the stage for subsequent social-cognitive abilities – such as the ability to understand the thoughts and emotions of others – that ultimately facilitate the formation of critical social relationships. However, the degree to which different individuals show these perceptual biases and are ultimately successful at advanced social-cognitive processes varies, and in some cases may be indicative of disorders like autism. Research in the Developmental Neuroanalytics Lab aims to identify and characterize the neurobiological and developmental factors that drive individual differences in social, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes across the lifespan.
The lab provides a multidimensional and interdisciplinary training environment, spanning the fields of cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and molecular epigenetics. Trainees are provided with hands-on experience in developmental cognitive neuroscience methodology, include the analysis of infant longitudinal electroencephalography (EEG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), eye-tracking, cognitive, behavioral, and diagnostic, assessments. There may be opportunity to learn epigenetic concepts and techniques include DNA isolation, electrophoresis, bisulfite conversion, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and pyrosequencing.
You will be responsible for working directly with our neuroimaging, behavioral, and/or epigenetics data. You will learn data analytic techniques including programming, statistical analysis, and scientific writing. You will gain an in-depth understanding of the research process, hands-on experience conducting human neuroscience and developmental science research, and valuable and transferable skills including critical thinking and independent problem-solving skills.
Required skills:
- tenacity
- strong communication skills
- strong organization and time management skills
- willingness to learn
Mentees will gain:
- an in-depth understanding of the research process
- hands-on experience processing, analyzing, and interpreting data
- valuable and transferable skills including the ability to think critically and problem solve independently