Vanderbilt University · PsychologyChild Development and Neuroplasticity Lab
Kathryn Leigh Humphreys · Nashville, Tennessee
Research Focus
Dr. Kathryn Leigh Humphreys' lab focuses on understanding early child development and the impact of the caregiving environment on mental health. The team explores how experiences during infancy and pregnancy influence brain structure and function, particularly concerning emotional regulation and psychopathology. Through innovative research methods including neuroimaging and wearable technology, they aim to gather insights that can inform early intervention strategies.
child developmentneuroplasticityinfant mental healthcaregiving environmentpregnancyemotional regulationpsychopathologywearable technologyneuroimaging
Research Aims
3AIM 01Examine the impact of caregiving proximity on child brain development and behavior.
AIM 02Investigate longitudinal brain changes during pregnancy using advanced neuroimaging techniques.
AIM 03Assess the relationship between hormonal fluctuations and brain structure/function during pregnancy.
Skills the Lab Values
MRI scanningwearable device technologydevelopmental assessmentsbehavioral assessmentsdata collection and analysisneuroscience techniqueslongitudinal study designhormonal analysischild-centered research methods
Output against the department
Publications280top 17% of dept.50th of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations13ktop 21% of dept.63rd of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.