How do babies recognize emotions?
Why do some children develop autism?
How can we better support kids with developmental disorders?
Here in the Nelson Laboratory, we are working to shed light on such questions through a variety of ongoing child development studies. By learning more about brain and behavior development across the lifespan, we aim to contribute to the healthy growth and development of our children.
To learn more about specific studies and participation opportunities, please click on the menu links to the left. You can also learn more about our international collaborations, including projects in Romania, Italy, England, Canada, and Chile.
Our lab make use of a variety of methods and new technologies designed to explore the relationship between electrical activity produced by the brain, brain structure, brain function, and cognitive processes. In particular, our work with event-related potentials (ERPs) in infants is a centerpiece of our laboratories' research. A long-range goal of the labs is to determine the "where?" and the "how?" of both memory and face/object recognition in the brain.
In addition to studies on typical development, we have a growing program of research dedicated to infants and children who are either at risk for falling off a typical developmental path or have already been diagnosed with a developmental disorder. Follow this link to learn more about our autism research program. We strongly believe that the knowledge gained through our research will lead to earlier diagnosis, better treatment, and better outcomes for children and families affected by developmental disorders.
If you would like us to keep you in the loop about upcoming studies in your child(ren)’s age range, please click the button below to sign up for our Participant Registry.