Laboratory
Professor
The team
The research focus of the Child Development Laboratory is on the science of early child development and the concept that brains are built over time. This is an ongoing process that starts before birth and continues into adulthood. We study effects of adverse events prenatally, preterm birth and its effects on brain development, both in structure and in function.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-invasive and non-irradiating technique, is used to obtain structural, metabolic and functional information about the brain. This information is related to the child's development, which is assessed by means of various specific neuropsychological tests. This multidisciplinary approach allows the discovery of risk factors that influence brain development and functioning, but also allows the study of new therapeutic approaches as long as music and mindfulness are studied.
The research group therefore includes Pediatricians, Specialists in Newborn Medicine, Developmental Pediatricians, Pediatric Neurologists, Developmental Psychologists, Experts in developmental neuroscience, Neuroimaging experts.
Our research is supported by the SNF, the European Union and private foundations.