Home
Contact Us
Current Research | Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development
Pioneering Research in Child Development
Exploring the fascinating world of infant and child development through cutting-edge research projects. Our collaborative network spans multiple institutions, studying everything from autism and ADHD to sensorimotor processing and early learning.
Here you’ll find our current studies you can take part in, plus other activities happening across the CBCD. Have a look!
These studies are studies conducted in person. If you wish to join, please register here.
If you wish to join one of our online studies, you can find them here.
Sensory Processing & Touch Research
Touch plays an important role in perception and early social development. This study analyzes brain and tablet-based touch responses in 3-6 year olds with ASD to create subject-specific sensory profiles.
A collaboration between UCL, UCL Hospital, and Birkbeck investigating how full-term and preterm babies respond to touch—one of the earliest ways we explore the world.

The aim of our research is to advance knowledge of early sensory development to inform how best to support for children with sensory-related difficulties. Have a look here.
Social Development, Empathy, and Self-Regulation
The Problem Solving in Early Development project studies how behavior and brain develop when toddlers and preschoolers solve problems in interaction with another person.
The Empathy Study
Understanding the early development of empathy in young children. By uncovering factors that promote empathy development, we can help foster these skills in children who have difficulties in social interactions.
The Stay Cool study is a follow-up to the STAARS project, investigating the development of self-regulation through fun play-based activities along with a variety of methods to assess children's development.
Sleep, Learning & Attention Studies
Investigating the impact of bedtime activities on sleep quality and attention development in babies. Understanding how evening routines shape cognitive development.
Examining how children and adolescents' learning is affected by various noises and distractions from home environments, and how some children develop better coping mechanisms.
Discover More:
Other Ongoing CBCD Projects
Understanding Neurodevelopmental Conditions
BASIS Network
The British Autism Study of Infant Siblings is a collaborative research network studying development of brothers and sisters of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
STAARS Project
Studying Autism and ADHD Risks researches early development of baby siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorders and typical development.
Eden Project
Collaborating with University of Manchester to study behavioral development of babies with NF1, identifying early markers of Autism and ADHD.
Genetic Conditions & Development
1
Collaborating with King's College London to study early development of babies with Tuberous Sclerosis (TSC), learning more about the condition to improve outcomes.
2
Studying behavioral development of babies with NF1 in collaboration with University of Manchester, seeking to identify early markers of Autism and ADHD.
3
Understanding individual differences during infancy that may be associated with specific neurocognitive characteristics of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome.
Physical Cognition & Motor Development
Our research delves into how children perceive, interact with, and learn from their physical environment. Through innovative methodologies, we explore the intricate connections between physical action, cognitive processes, and brain development, aiming to uncover fundamental principles that drive learning and behavior.
ACT-UP: Action & Problem Solving
This project uses a multi-faceted approach to study human planning and problem-solving. Through tool-use tasks, we integrate eye-tracking, EEG, and motion-tracking to observe how cognitive strategies manifest in physical actions.
EMBODIED REASONING: VR Explorations
We investigate how our embodied experiences shape physical reasoning. Participants navigate custom virtual reality environments with altered gravities, allowing us to understand the deep influence of bodily interaction on cognitive perception.
LEAVES: Activity & Brain Connectivity
Combining physical activity with cognitive demands, LEAVES aims to enhance brain connectivity in children with ADHD. Utilizing fNIRS and virtual room technology, we observe real-time neural changes during engaging, movement-based tasks.
Brain Imaging & Child Development
BRIGHT Initiative
Brain Imaging for Global Health is a longitudinal collaboration examining developmental trajectories of babies over the first 1000 days of life across UCL, Birkbeck, KCL and MRC Gambia.
Motion Project
Leveraging technological advances to study infants' and toddlers' body movements, gaze direction, and brain activity as they spontaneously explore their world.
Spatial Skills & Educational Technology
We leverage cutting-edge educational technology and innovative interventions to understand and enhance spatial reasoning across different age groups. Our research aims to develop effective tools and strategies that improve spatial abilities, crucial for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
BETTER TOGETHER: Collaborative Spatial Learning
This project examines how social interventions can improve spatial skills in primary school children, specifically targeting their performance in science and mathematics. We focus on collaborative problem-solving tasks.
AUTO-HAPTIC: Enhancing Spatial Skills with Hand Tracking
We investigate the use of automatic real-time hand tracking to boost adolescent spatial skills in virtual environments. By eliminating haptic feedback, we explore novel ways technology can augment learning.
SMARTYS: Intelligent Play for Preschoolers
This study tests the impact of physical object play using intelligent toys on cognitive development in nursery settings. We use video recording and smart toy data to analyze preschoolers' spatial reasoning and problem-solving abilities.
Innovative Technology & Accessibility
Making science more inclusive and promoting understanding of neurodevelopmental differences. We're making our virtual reality room more accessible to all neurodiverse children, inviting children aged 3-6, neurotypical or with ASD and/or ADHD.
An exciting collaboration with UCL and IPSOS studying babies' physical, brain and cognitive development in the home environment for 6-11 month olds.
Social Media, Adolescence, & Prosocial Development
Growing up kind
Neural markers of prosocial development and the effects of social media
KINDMe will chart how prosocial behaviour develops from ages 13–25 by combining state-of-the-art neuroimaging with established behavioural tasks to map trajectories in prosociality and reward sensitivity, and how these relate to social media use. By identifying sensitive periods and clarifying social media’s contribution, the project will provide an evidence base for targeted educational and parental interventions and practical guidance for parents, educators, and policymakers.
Becoming prosocial amidst social media
Neural markers of prosocial behavior in early adulthood
BeProSocial explores the influence of social media on the development of prosocial behaviour during early adulthood. Utilizing robust methodologies and integrating behavioural and neural evidence, this project aims to validate empirical measures and explore the nuanced interplay between social media and prosocial behaviour. Additionally, it will investigate the potential role of social reward as a driving factor for both social media engagement and prosocial behaviour.
BLoCKS
Baby Language and Conceptual Knowledge Study
This ESRC funded project investigates the two-way interaction between language acquisition and conceptual development. We have 3 research aims: to develop better measures of category knowledge in pre-verbal (or non-verbal) children; to understand how language guides category learning and to understand the impact that reduced access to language has on conceptual development, in particular, and cognitive development, in general, in deaf infants born to hearing families.
Advanced Behavioral Analysis & AI
Our research integrates cutting-edge AI and advanced behavioral analysis to unravel the complexities of child development. By leveraging robotics, computer vision, and machine learning, we create innovative tools to study learning, cognitive processes, and socio-communicative skills from infancy, pushing the boundaries of developmental science.
FOOTBALL BABYBOTS: Learning through Play
This project explores infant learning principles using simulated football-playing robots. By introducing variability and 'errors,' we model how infants learn from imperfect actions and adapt their strategies, offering insights into early motor skill acquisition and cognitive development.
INTUITIVE TOWERS: Physics Reasoning
We use computer vision and machine learning to analyze how children build and interact with block towers. This reveals developmental changes in their intuitive physics reasoning, helping us understand how they grasp concepts like balance, stability, and gravity from an early age.
BABYGROW: Movement & Communication
BABYGROW investigates the link between newborns' spontaneous movements and emerging socio-communicative skills. Intelligent onesies, combined with computer vision and video annotation, track subtle motions to decode early behavioral cues vital for social interaction and later developmental milestones.