The Developing Mind: From Molecular Mechanisms to Meaningful Connections

Brain development is a complex process that relies on tightly controlled gene activity. Overlapping mechanisms, including the ‘epigenetic’ modification of DNA, work together to turn genes on or off in different cells as the brain grows. Mutations that derail these processes lead to disorders that are characterised by intellectual disability and altered social communication. Whilst we appreciate the genetic causes of these conditions, in many cases we don’t understand how they operate at a molecular level. Research in our lab is focused on uncovering how epigenetic mechanisms regulate brain development and what happens when these processes go wrong. By studying these, we hope to understand how brain development is controlled and to use this knowledge to develop new treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders. In this talk, I will discuss the ways in which we are addressing these questions, the tools we use and what progress we have made.

How do children learn to think about other’s thoughts and how can we use brain imaging to learn about how children learn to think about other’s thoughts?
To try and provide answers to these questions, I will talk about my PhD research on the development of social reasoning abilities working with children born preterm. I will explain what we can learn from brain scans that we can’t learn from more straightforward tests of behaviour and how we make these scans fun for 5-year-olds.