The COVID-19 pandemic produced dramatic changes in the daily lives of adolescents, and these changes were particularly detrimental for teens’ academic, social, and emotional development. Using brain measures (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI), I-LABS scientists studied the structure of the brain in teens ranging in age from 9 to 20 years, both before and after the pandemic. Brain maturation is … Read More
The human costs of light pollution include less curiosity and wonder about the universe
New research connects visibility of night sky and interest in science. For millennia,humans’ observation of the stars has shaped agricultural, navigational, and cultural practices. But, because of modern light pollution the stars are fading from the perceptual field of many populations—and interest in astronomy, humanity’s “oldest science,” may be affected. A new study by I-LABS scientists Rodolfo Cortes Barragan and Andrew … Read More
Liesbeth Gijbels is a 2024 Graduate Medalist
Liesbeth Gijbels was named one of 3 UW College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Medalists. This award honors exceptional graduate students who completed their advanced degrees this year. Gijbels contributed outstanding scholarship during her graduate career, with 8 peer-reviewed publications, innovations in online testing due to the pandemic, and an internship with Meta. Medalists are selected on the basis of … Read More
New research compares speech and music in babies’ environment
First controlled study on speech vs. music yields surprises I-LABS scientists sought a snapshot of infants’ auditory environments. Unlike previous research which documents the amount of speech and language that infants hear, no previous work looked at the amount of music infants hear. Results showed that infants hear more spoken language than music, with the gap widening as the babies get … Read More
Q&A: UW research shows neural connection between learning a second language and learning to code
I-LABS faculty member Chantel Prat and her graduate student Iris Kuo are featured in this UW News Q&A feature. Their work concerns how the brains of adults, who have varying skill levels in computer programming, read lines of code in a computer programming language. The brain’s response to viewing errors in both the syntax (form) and semantics (meaning) of code appeared identical … Read More
New research: A “social ensemble” of interactions in infancy predicts future language development
New insights into the neurobiology of language learning Whether you’re in Tokyo, Madrid, or Seattle, seeing a parent interact with a baby produces a heartwarming scene – the parent uses a high-pitched voice (often called ‘parentese’), reacts positively to the baby’s babbling and gestures, and often makes eye contact and smiles. Babies are riveted by this “social ensemble.” But why? … Read More
What babies think: Meltzoff interviewed in Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German newsmagazine that is published weekly. It is one of the most widely circulated magazines in Germany, and throughout Europe. In a recently-published story called “What Babies Think”, I-LABS co-Director Andrew Meltzoff was quoted about the cognitive skills that infants and children exhibit, and how these are studied in a research lab. The story was published on March … Read More
Children are not born with racial biases
New article unpacks how children experience and develop racial biases In a special issue of Daedalus, leading scholars, scientists, and policymakers examine the science behind implicit bias—stereotyped associations that we are not consciously aware of but that reinforce inequality in the world. “Understanding Implicit Bias: Insights & Innovations” features research and perspectives from a range of areas, including antidiscrimination law, early education, … Read More
Neva Corrigan interviewed for New Scientist magazine
New Scientist interview on study showing adolescent brains changed in unexpected ways during Covid-19 lockdown Dr. Neva Corrigan was the lead author on new research about the structural changes in adolescent brains pre- and post-pandemic. As reported in the popular science magazine New Scientist (Jan. 2024), the data showed that cortical thickness in teenagers, following the pandemic, was abnormally reduced across widespread areas … Read More
New research supported by the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences reveals differences in how white and Black parents talk to their children about race.
In the United States, Black and white parents have different conversations with their children about race. In a multi-university study spanning 11 cities across the United States, Dr. Onnie Rogers and a group of researchers at Northwestern University, teamed up with Dr. Katharine Scott, Wake Forest University, Dr. Andrew Meltzoff, University of Washington, and Dr. David Chae, Tulane University, to … Read More