Our research
Healthy child and adolescent development is the foundation of a healthy and successful future. Our research aims to understand and advance the science of human development across the lifespan to inform policies and practices that address our society’s most critical issues, including building healthy relationships and healthy communities, closing the opportunity gap, combating adolescent substance abuse, charting brain growth and health, and globalization.
Developmental psychology underpins most of our research activities. Our researchers study both typical and atypical development using techniques including:
- neuroimaging;
- electrophysiological recording;
- genetics and epigenetics;
- neuropsychological assessment; and
- observations of behavior.
Research labs
- Bioecology, Self-Regulation and Learning Lab - Daniel Berry
- Center for Early Education and Development
- Early Childhood Development and Well-Being in a Changing World - Arthur Reynolds
- Child Brain and Perception Lab - Charisse Pickron
- Child Wellbeing Research Group - Canan Karatekin
- The Cognition and Neurodevelopmental Studies Lab - Jed Elison
- Cognitive Development and Neuroimaging Lab - Kathleen Thomas
- Culture and Family Life Lab - Gail Ferguson
- Developmental Affective Neuroscience, Culture, and Environment (D.A.N.C.E.) Lab - Ka I Ip
- Developmental Cognition and Neuroimaging Lab - Damien Fair
- Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab - Stephanie Carlson & Phil Zelazo
- Early Language and Experience Lab - Melissa Koenig
- The Family Cognitive Affective Neurodevelopment (Fam CAN) Lab - Sylia Wilson
- Georgieff Laboratory In Development Nutritional Neuroscience - Michael Georgieff
- The Gunnar Laboratory for Developmental Psychobiology Research - Megan Gunnar
- Harris Research and Policy Lab - Elizabeth Carlson
- The Math and Numeracy Lab - Michele Mazzocco
- Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation - Glenn Roisman
- Project Competence Research on Risk and Resilience - Ann Masten
- Relationships Research Lab - Glenn Roisman
Bioecology, Self-Regulation and Learning Lab
Faculty: Daniel Berry
Our research focuses on clarifying the processes—mind, brain and environment—through which children’s experiences with their parents, teachers, and peers shape their abilities to control their impulses, purposely maintain and shift their attention, and hold and manipulate information in mind. Broadly, this set of inter-related skills is referred to as "self-regulation."
Topics
- Cognitive development
- Developmental neuroscience
- Early childhood
- Executive function
- Families and parenting
- Hormones and behavior
- Infancy
- Social and emotional development
- Stress and maltreatment
- Vulnerable populations
Child Development Laboratory School
Our Child Development Laboratory School is an active center for research for our faculty and students, who conduct studies there throughout the school year.
Affiliated centers
We work with many research centers across the University of Minnesota. Through our partnerships, our students can collaborate with experts in different fields and conduct interdisciplinary research.
Are you a parent? Participate in research
We’re always looking for families and children to participate in our research studies. Help us make the next big discovery.