National Academy of Sciences Issues Early Childhood Call To Action

I-LABSPublication, Research

The National Academy of Sciences issues Briefs only when scientific consensus on a topic is overwhelming.  I-LABS has contributed to a body of research that has met that standard.  The Academy has just issued a Brief about early childhood education that confidently states four findings: Early education improves lives. Access to early education is not equitable, and those children most … Read More

I-LABS Graduate Student Wins Prestigious Award

I-LABSAwards, Research

Malayka Mottarella

I-LABS graduate student Malayka Mottarella has won the Graduate Student Research Award from The Society for Text and Discourse for her paper, “Skilled Readers Engage More Proactive Attentional Control During a Working Memory Task.”  This award honors the best in pre-dissertation writing, recognizing students who have been lead authors on significant papers.  Congratulations Malayka! Read the announcement here. Read about the award here.

I-LABS Research Provides Insights for Learning During COVID

I-LABSMedia Coverage, Research

In a wide-ranging interview, I-LABS co-directors Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff discuss their research and how it relates to life during COVID.  They talk about bias, equity, empathy, language acquisition, and technology, among other topics.  This interview is part of Aloud, a speakers series hosted by The Library Foundation of Los Angeles. Access the interview here. Read more about the Aloud series here.

I-LABS Co-Directors Featured in New Documentary

I-LABSMedia Coverage, Research

I-LABS co-directors Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff are among the national experts featured in No Small Matter. Drs. Kuhl and Meltzoff discuss cutting-edge research that demonstrates the importance of early experiences for children’s brain development. The I-LABS magnetoencephalography (MEG) machine is also featured as the newest way to study the developing brain. Executive Produced and narrated by Alfre Woodard, No Small Matter describes … Read More

I-LABS Research Sheds Light On Children’s Race and Gender Identities

I-LABSPublication, Research

The current national conversations about race are both necessary and difficult.  It is important to anchor these conversations in what we know about children’s development. Former I-LABS researcher Onnie Rogers, now a faculty member at Northwestern University, and I-LABS co-Director Andrew Meltzoff investigated the origins of children’s race and gender identities. The research was originally published in Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology.  Read that article here. … Read More

Savannah Claire Cassis To Receive 2020 President’s Medal

I-LABSAwards, Research

Savannah Claire Cassis will receive UW’s highest academic honor for graduating seniors: the President’s Medal. During her time as an undergraduate at UW, Savannah worked at I-LABS in Chantel Prat’s lab. She examined resting-state EEGs and working memory for her honor’s thesis on how people perceive the ordering of events. Read the announcement here.

I-LABS researcher Daniel McCloy Receives Prestigious CZI Award

I-LABSAwards, Research

Daniel McCloy is changing the way MEG data is collected and used.  Now his open source software improvements to MEG processing and interactive visualizations have been recognized by an award from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.  Dr. McCloy’s work will continue to enhance MEG research and improve biomedical knowledge in numerous areas. Read the award press release here. Read about the project here.

Investigating Moral Dilemmas During the Pandemic

I-LABSMedia Coverage, Research

I-LABS co-Director Andrew Meltzoff is one of three UW professors leading an investigation into moral dilemmas posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.  Using an online virtual lab called LabintheWild, participants from around the world can respond to different situations.  Researchers hope to learn how people from different countries and age groups are responding to the crisis. Read about the research here. Read … Read More

Communication Skills Predict Programming Aptitude

I-LABSMedia Coverage, Publication, Research

Modern programming languages have vocabulary and grammar, just like natural languages.  This observation led I-LABS researcher Chantel Prat and her team to suspect that language skills might be a better predictor than math skills of the ability to learn programming.  Her research showed that it was. These findings have profound implications for how programming languages are taught. The research was … Read More