How is it possible that in just a few short years a babbling baby becomes a talking toddler? In the November 2015 issue of “Scientific American,” I-LABS’ co-director Patricia Kuhl describes the brain mechanisms underlying the amazing yet fleeting gift that all infants have to quickly learn language. “I still marvel, after four decades of studying child development, how a child can … Read More
For Babies, Copy-Cat Games Provide a Social Compass
An article published in the Wall Street Journal describes recent I-LABS findings about baby brains and social behavior, which provide some of the first evidence of “body maps” in the infant brain. “Humans have a mapping ability that lets them see themselves in relation to others, thus helping them to navigate in the social world,” the article begins. It goes on to describe … Read More
Lost Brain Pathway Found
Photo caption: The VOF identified in a postmortem human brain in 1909 but labeled with a different name. A few years ago I-LABS’ Jason Yeatman, then a graduate student at Stanford University, found himself solving a mystery of an unidentified large fiber pathway in the human brain. “It was this massive bundle of fibers, visible in every brain I examined,” said … Read More
TIME: How to Get More Girls Into Computer Science
Imagine a computer programmer. What does this person look like? What is this person doing? Is the person with anyone? What kinds of hobbies might he or she have? In an article for TIME, Allison Master, an I-LABS postdoctoral researcher, writes about her research showing how dispelling computer science stereotypes could help narrow the gender gap in computer science by … Read More
KOMO TV: Body Maps and Babies’ Brains
KOMO TV, an ABC news affiliate, featured I-LABS research on body maps and babies’ brains in a story that aired during their evening broadcast. The KOMO piece begins: “This is for any parent who’s looked at a child and wondered what’s going on in that little brain of theirs. Researchers at the University of Washington wonder too, and they’re getting answers.” I-LABS … Read More
Two Human Brains Linked, Play ’20 Questions’
In the latest advance in brain-to-brain communication, I-LABS researchers demonstrate how two brains collaboratively problem solve. University of Washington researchers recently used a direct brain-to-brain connection to enable pairs of participants to play a question-and-answer game by transmitting signals from one brain to the other over the Internet. The experiment, detailed September 23 in PLOS ONE, is thought to be … Read More
Cover Story: Body Maps in the Infant Brain
On the cover of its September issue, Trends in Cognitive Sciences showcases pioneering I-LABS research on body maps in the infant brain. Neural “body maps,” which have been documented with adults, show that different areas of the cortex become active when a corresponding location of the body is touched. But little is know about body maps in infant brains or … Read More
I-LABS work with Policymakers
I-LABS Co-directors Speak at International Business Summit October 2, 2015 – Drs. Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff presented the latest developments on early childhood brain research during an event organized by ReadyNation. The Event, the 2015 Global Business Summit on Early Childhood Investments, held Oct. 1-2 in New York City, attracts more than 200 business people, policymakers and other experts. … Read More
New PBS Documentary ‘Born to Learn’
A prominent Pacific Northwest PBS station will premiere a new documentary showcasing I-LABS research. “Born to Learn,” produced by KSPS Public Television in Spokane, first aired on July 30, 2015 at 7pm and has been shown on other PBS stations. It can also be viewed on the KSPS website. Seeking experts in the latest science of child brain development, KSPS producers sought out … Read More
I-LABS Research Featured in Kristof and WuDunn’s ‘A Path Appears’
The best-selling authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn cited research from the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences in their latest book. The book, “A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity,” covers social problems and profiles people and programs that are helping to improve lives around the globe. “Nobody clarifies the social challenges of our time, or the moral imperative … Read More