Led by Caterina Stamoulis, PhD, the laboratory studies typical and atypical brain development using Big Data and cutting-edge computational tools. We develop novel signal/image processing, mathematical and statistical approaches, and integrate them with large-scale brain data, with the goal to characterize a) normative developmental trajectories of human neural circuits, and b) neuromodulatory effects of neurological disorders (with a focus on epilepsy) on brain development. Research in our laboratory is at the intersection of Neuroscience, Data science and Biomedical engineering, and aims to address fundamental questions in cognitive and systems neuroscience.
We are specifically interested in the development of human brain circuits (the connectome) from infancy to young adulthood. The overarching goal of our work is to characterize the maturation and (re)organization of brain circuits that support increasingly complex cognitive skills and efficient processing of the outside world. We are also interested in quantifying the effects of endogenous and exogenous (for example environmental) factors that influence brain maturation. In the last few years our work has focused on the adolescent brain, and multi-domain individual, environmental and experiential protective and risk factors that shape its developing circuitry. We are studying the effects of poor sleep, excess weight, and the social environment on circuit rewiring and structural maturation during this sensitive period. In parallel, our laboratory continues its long-standing work in pediatric epilepsy, with the goal to elucidate multi-system changes associated with seizure generation.
The laboratory's work is highly cross-disciplinary and involves collaborations with clinicians, engineers, and computer scientists. It is supported by multiple programs at the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.