Our research focus
In the Brain Maturation research group, we focus on brain and behavioral development during infancy, childhood, and adolescence. We characterize brain and behavioral developmental trajectories in health (typical) and disease (atypical) and elucidate how brain networks map onto developing cognitive and motor functioning. We employ multimodal MRI techniques (e.g., structural, functional, diffusion, spectroscopy) and environmental, biological, cognitive, and clinical assessments in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of typically developing and at-risk pediatric populations. Measures of interest include global and regional brain structure volumes and shape, cortical thickness and surface area, brain tissue microstructure and chemistry, white matter fiber bundle characteristics, brain activation, structural and functional connectivity, as well as clinical, behavioral, environmental, hormonal, and genetic variables.
