Research Overview
We conduct interdisciplinary research aiming to increase our understanding of child development, with a particular focus on neurodevelopmental conditions.
Our research includes several clinical projects about early development in individuals with autism spectrum conditions and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In our main clinical research project, EASE (Projekt Småsyskon), we aim to identify early signs of autism spectrum conditions and ADHD through an infant sibling design, to improve early detection and support for individuals and families in the future. We also do large-scale studies of typical development and individual differences in the general population. More specifically, through twin studies of infants and children, we seek to understand how genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in brain development and behavior.
Understanding the nature of individual differences in the general population is of relevance for our theories of autism spectrum conditions and ADHD; hence, there is a tight link between the clinical and non-clinical studies in the lab. We use a range of methodologies in our studies, ranging from behavioral testing and interview with parents, to eye tracking/pupillometry and brain imaging.
- AIMS-2-TRIALS (Autism Innovative Medicine Studies-2-Trials)
- SAPIENS (Shaping the Social Brain Through Early Interactions)
- The Role of Gut Microbiota in Typical and Atypical Brain Development (Interdisciplinary Research Environment Program funded by the Swedish Research Council)
- Several joint research projects with Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND)
Funding
The work conducted in the lab is supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council, The Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond), the European Union (EU), the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS) and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.