Have you ever wondered how our brain grows as we learn & play? 

At the Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, we are trying to find out! 


As we grow through childhood, our brain undergoes some pretty amazing changes.  As we  learn to walk, talk, count, sing the alphabet, even tie our shoes, our brain is adapting - becoming bigger and stronger and letting us master these tasks and many more.  Amazingly, no one is quite sure how our brain does this, or what happens if things go wrong.  For example, why do some children develop learning disorders, such as dyslexia?


At the Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, we want to discover with you how your child’s brain learns and grows!   We want to understand how the brain changes as we learn new things from infancy all the way through adolescence.  We also want to understand how differences, such as hearing or vision impairment, being born premature , or even learning multiple languages during infancy, can influence brain development.


To study brain development, we use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to take detailed pictures of the brain. MRI is not like X-rays or a CT scan, MRI is safe and painless.  We also use games and puzzles to study motor skills, vision, language and memory.  By putting this information together, we can learn how different parts of the brain adapt and grow as we learn new things and get better and faster at them.


We have a number of on-going studies, and are always looking for interested parents and families.  Please click here to learn more about current studies and how you can participate.

Our research relies on your generous participation.


If you are interested in volunteering for any of our ongoing studies,  please call us to learn more.  We can introduce ourselves, show you around, explain the study further, and answer any questions.  All parents are reimbursed for time, receive a DVD movie of their child’s brain, and results of their child’s developmental assessment.   We hope to hear from you!


Phone: 401- 863 - 7661

E-mail: Baby_Imaging_Lab@brown.edu


Or, stop by our lab at Wayland Square, 229 Waterman Street, Providence.  We are always happy to talk about the study and share our latest results.

What we do at the Baby Imaging Lab!