Current Linked Studies
Stay Cool
​Stay Cool is a follow-up to the STAARS project, exploring the development of self-regulation in neurodiverse and neurotypical participants aged 4-9. In this study, participants and their parents engage in play-based activities whilst we investigate how their brains, bodies, and behaviours interact to manage emotions. ​
Study Aim:
Despite lots of studies in self-regulation in adults, we know very little about self-regulation in children. Traditional studies of self-regulation in adults often rely on tasks like complex planning, sustained attention, and multitasking, which may not accurately reflect the realities of childhood. In the Stay Cool study, me measure self-regulation during engaging and age-appropriate play-based activities, offering a more authentic understanding of this critical developmental process. ​
What does the study involve?
In the study, we measure self-regulation whilst participants complete play-based and child-friendly activities. We take a multimodal approach, using neuroimaging, physiological, and behavioural measurement techniques to explore self-regulation within the mind, brain, and body. Many of these measures are similar to the ones used in the STAARS study e.g., EEG, fNIRS, eye-tracking and standard tabletop and screen based tasks.​​
Birkbeck Toddlerlab, 33 Torrington Square, London, WC1E 7JL
The SENSOR Project
The SENSOR project seeks to better understand why some children behave differently in response to everyday visual, tactile, and auditory sensory stimuli. For example, why do some children hate the feeling of a clothing label on the back of our jumper, whilst some don’t notice when their teacher has coloured their hair a different shade of red.
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Study Aim:
​The aim of the SENSOR project is to advance the scientific understanding of early sensory development, with the ultimate goal of informing support strategies for children with sensory-related difficulties.
What does the study involve?​
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Pre-requisite survey pathway
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Optional In-Person Pathway:
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Selected families that complete our survey will be invited to an in-person day of sensory play observations, virtual reality games, and measures of brain activity!​​
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We will assess your child at age 3, 4 and 5 years to help us understand how sensory processing differences change over time, and how they impact on key aspects of child development.
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Birkbeck Toddlerlab, 33 Torrington Square, London
WC1E 7JL
SNAP: Sensory Activity in Preschoolers
Autism is often characterised by sensory processing differences, with 70-90% of autistic children experiencing heightened or diminished sensory sensitivity. Among all senses, touch has guided children's curiosity in exploring their environment since the first few years of lie. But how can we understand how children sense the surrounding environment and which stimuli they prefer? The SNAP study investigates brain and tablet-based touch responses in preschool-aged children with autism to better understand their sensory processing profiles.
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Study Aim:
Given the impact of sensory difficulties on individual's lives including their potential impact on core social and associated symptoms of anxiety, our prospective approach aims to help better understand the effect of specific sensory subtypes on later life, including education and social life.
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What does the study involve?
Our study explores sensory processing in autistic children aged 3-6 years by examining their individual preferences and responses to sensory stimuli. We utilise neuroimaging (EEG), behavioural observations, surveys and tablet-based touch response measures to create subject-specific sensory profiles.
Birkbeck Toddlerlab, 33 Torrington Square, London
WC1E 7JL
The Eden Study
In collaboration with Birkbeck, University of London and BASIS, the University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are looking to systematically characterise the behavioural development in infants with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).
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About NF1:
The impact of NF1 varies greatly from child to child. While some children may experience only mild skin changes, others may face more significant challenges. Approximately one in four children with NF1 may be affected by ASD, impacting their social interactions, communication, and daily routines. Around 50% of children with NF1 may experience ADHD, affecting their attention and concentration.
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Study Aim:
The EDEN study aims to identify early signs of these potential challenges in infants with NF1. By following children from the age of five months, we hope to develop new tools for early diagnosis and potentially new treatments to improve outcomes for children with NF1.
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What does the study involve?
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Detailed clinical assessments to investigate neurodevelopmental trajectories in infants with NF1.
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Measures of brain activity and eye gaze to identify early brain markers predictive of autism or ADHD.
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Comparing developmental outcomes in infants with NF1 to those of infants with older siblings diagnosed with autism or ADHD, and to a low-risk control group.
Birkbeck Babylab, Henry Wellcome Building, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, 32 Torrington Square, London WC1E 7JL
