How does early life exposure to air pollutants and other toxins influence neurodevelopment? Are these effects long-lasting? 

New research efforts by our laboratory aim to determine if exposure to air pollution during child and adolescent development has long-lasting effects on how the brain matures and functions over time. In considering how pollution may act on the developing brain, we also consider if these effects are similar for everyone, or if there are other factors that may make some children and adolescents more vulnerable to the potential effects of air pollution.

1 in 5 children ages 13-18 have a serious mental illness and 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14. 

By studying individual differences, our work ultimately aims to better understand and help to identify preclinical indicators of mental health risk, as well as resilience, in children and adolescents. Studies in our lab are trying to understand how hormones, environment, and even genes may interact to put an individual at risk for mental health disorders, as well as how lifestyle choices, like physical exercise, may positively benefit the developing brain and cognitive function.