02 / RESEARCH

Research at LEED

Our research examines how early experiences shape brain, behavioral, and socio-emotional development, with a particular focus on risk, resilience, and opportunities for early intervention.

LEED Research Studies

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Scalable Parenting Program to Support Brain, Autonomic, and Socio-Emotional Development in Preterm Infants

Funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

This 5-year R01 will examine whether providing parents with web-based support during the critical weeks and months after premature infants leave the hospital strengthens early brain development linked to emotional and mental health. We will use EEG, MRI, and neurophysiological recordings to map the development of neural systems that support socio-emotional development and mental health and test the effects of remotely delivered parenting programs across the first year of life.

Project Status: Actively Recruiting

Wearable technology study of infant brain and social-emotional development

Using Wearable Technology to Understand Social-Emotional Development and Brain Plasticity in Babies Born Prematurely

Supported by a Research Innovation Scholarly Engagement (RISE) Award from the University of Houston Division of Research

This study examines how early brain development and behavior unfold following premature birth and what may signal later risk or resilience. Using baby-friendly wearable EEG and heart-rate monitors, we study development of the affective pathways of the nervous system, or “social brain,” between 6 and 18 months of age. We combine these measures with assessments of early social, emotional, and behavioral development and family factors that may support healthy development.

Project Status: Actively Recruiting

Integrated EEG-fMRI infant neuroimaging study

Integrated EEG-fMRI Platforms to Drive Future Clinical and Developmental Neuroscience Discoveries at UH

Supported by a DOR Equipment Grant at the University of Houston

This project will purchase equipment to establish the feasibility of collecting high-quality simultaneous EEG-fMRI data in naturally sleeping infants who vary in prematurity status. The project will establish a scalable multimodal imaging framework for understanding neurodevelopment in early childhood and generate feasibility and pilot data to support planned external awards.

Project Status: Actively Recruitng

Infant wearing an EEG cap during the BESTIE Study

BESTIE Study: Brain and Early Socio-Emotional Trajectories of Infant Experiences

Supported by a Research Progress Grant Award from the University of Houston

The BESTIE Study explores how infants’ brains and bodies respond to real-world social experiences with their caregivers. Using mobile EEG and wearable heart monitors, we capture neural and physiological activity during playful interactions and brief stressors such as separations and reunions. These measures are paired with observations of parent-child behavior and caregiver reports to examine how early caregiving shapes emerging emotional and self-regulatory skills.

Project Status: Actively Recruiting

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up study in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Adapting the ABC Program for LMICs: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Supported by internal funding from the University of Houston

This international collaborative study examines implementation of the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention with families living in poverty in Bangladesh. The project examines whether the intervention can improve caregiver sensitivity, reduce risk for child maltreatment, and support healthy infant development. We also examine infant physiological functioning and indicators of early brain development to better understand how responsive caregiving supports emotional and biological resilience.

Project Status: Dissemination

Brain-PALS Study for Toddlers Born Preterm

Supported by NIH funding awarded to Dr. Landry and Dr. DeMaster at UTHealth and Dr. Bick at UH

LEED and collaborators at the Children’s Learning Institute are conducting a longitudinal randomized clinical trial examining whether the remotely delivered Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) parenting program supports healthy brain and behavioral outcomes in toddlers born prematurely. At UH, we examine brain function associated with attention and emotional processing using EEG and measures of heart rate.