News

Dr. Susan Perlman recently welcomed colleagues to the grand opening of the Laboratory for Child Brain Development.  The new lab space features an area for children and families with plenty of toys, games and other activities to enjoy while they wait before their appointments with research staff.  

"I wanted to create a space where the kids participating in our studies and their families could relax and enjoy themselves while they waited to go into the testing area," said Dr. Perlman.  So Dr. Perlman enlisted the services of  "design consultants" - her two young daughters - when creating the waiting area.

The waiting area offers comfortable seating and plenty of toys, games and activities. Dr. Perlman said the space, particularly some of the high tech toys, have been a big hit with research participants and their families.  

The lab also has upgraded their testing rooms to accommodate Dr. Perlman's growing research program and her young study participants. Dr. Perlman uses multiple methods to understand the neurodevelopment of individual differences in temperament in order to predict which preschool aged children are at greatest risk for future psychopathology. She combines different types of methodology (including multi-modal imaging, eye-tracking, actigraphy, cortisol, computer assessment, and parent-report) in order to answer a research question from multiple angles.  This is especially important when studying young children who can't always sit still for long periods of time or tell research staff how they are feeling.

If your family is interested in study participation in the Laboratory for Child Brain Development, please contact the lab staff by calling 412-383-5280 or texting a message to 412-463-1253.  You may also request information on Dr. Perlman's research studies by emailing the lab at childbrain@upmc.edu or visiting the LCBD web site.