Laboratory of Early Experiences and Development
About the Lab
The Laboratory for Early Experiences and Development (LEED) is located in the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston and is directed by Dr. Johanna Bick. LEED’s work builds off a well-established body of research showing that early adverse events are common, and when experienced in the first years of life, can have a lasting impact on cognitive, emotional, and social development.
What is our mission?
Our goal at LEED is to delineate the specific impact of these experiences on the underlying neurodevelopmental systems associated with areas of risk. We take an interdisciplinary, multi-method approach to ask research questions using various neuroimaging methods (EEG, MRI, and recently fNIRS) or biomarkers of stress reactivity (HPA axis, Heart Rate). Our studies often involve careful characterization of children’s social, emotional, and cognitive functioning early early life experiences so we can get the best possible picture of child development
Why early life?
We have known for decades that the first years of life are the most sensitive to experiences, although human brains and behaviors are continually shaped by experiences throughout the entire lifetime. We want to better understand this early period of heightened developmental plasticity. Not only will that tell us more about the potential hazards or risk factors that interfere with healthy development, but we can also learn how to maximally support optimal development with evidence-based intervention!