Brain Trajectories & Cohorts

Research Area Focus

Understanding the brain across key life stages

The human brain undergoes continuous changes throughout life - from early development in prenatal life, infancy, and childhood, through adolescence and adulthood, and into old age. Mapping these patterns over time helps us understand not only how the brain develops and functions, but also how brain health is maintained. At the DRCMR, we explore how the brain’s structure, function, and chemistry changes in early development and in old age. Our research seeks to uncover what shapes brain maturation and aging: from genes and biology to environment and lifestyle. Ultimately, we aim to predict whether individuals are at risk of negative development and provide recommendations for interventions that may alter an unhealthy trajectory.

Longitudinal and multidimensional perspectives

Our core strength lies in longitudinal research: following the same individuals over time to capture the complex, dynamic nature of brain maturation and aging. This long-term perspective allows us to detect subtle changes often missed by cross-sectional studies and to build more accurate models of developmental and degenerative processes. Longitudinal designs are particularly powerful for identifying early signs of atypical development or decline and understanding when and how to intervene.

We tackle these questions using a multidimensional, prospective approach that brings together state-of-the-art multimodal neuroimaging with in-depth assessments of individual behavior, biology, cognition, and life history. In addition to longitudinal cohort studies, we perform various intervention studies examining how brain health may be influenced by modifiable factors, such as physical exercise or sleep. Our research spans both healthy individuals and those with neurological or psychiatric conditions, helping us understand typical and atypical brain trajectories in greater depth.

Research Vision

Collaboration is at the heart of our approach. We bring together researchers from neuroscience, medicine, psychology, engineering, and data science to address complex questions that cannot be solved within a single discipline. Guided by a vision to translate our insights into better brain and mental health for all ages, we strive for high academic standards, interdisciplinary collaborations, innovative methods and techniques, and an ambitious, fun, and diverse research environment.

In the long term, we aim to expand our research to include the earliest stages of brain development, including prenatal life, to better understand the origins of lifelong brain health and disease. By studying both the earliest beginnings and the oldest stages of life, we seek to capture the full trajectory of the human brain across the far ends of the lifespan.