The Bangor Child Lab’s multidisciplinary team will explore critical areas such as language development, literacy, and social cognition, using a combination of behavioural assessments, neuroimaging, and computational modelling.
This innovative approach bridges scientific research with practical applications, aiming to advance understanding and practices that support children’s growth and development. The lab will also pioneer new strategies for working with young people with neurodevelopmental differences, helping to better understand their needs and develop effective support interventions.
Collectively, the researchers within the Bangor Child Lab have secured over £5 million in funding, enabling significant advancements in understanding the neurocognitive bases of developmental variations and improving early-years interventions. A new project generously funded by the Waterloo Foundation is set to launch in early 2025. This initiative will bring together a team of experts from 18ҹ, York University, and the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB). Key clinical partners include Community Paediatrician Dr Hamilton Grantham and Clinical Psychologists Dr Kate Dickson and Dr Leah Jones.
Dr Samuel Jones, Director of the ‘Bangor Child Lab’ and a lecturer in psychology at 18ҹ, highlighted the lab’s mission, “Bangor Child Lab brings together world-leading expertise in neural, cognitive, and behavioural development to tackle pressing real-world challenges in children’s education and well-being.
“We have exceptional infrastructure at 18ҹ to support this work, including advanced tools for studying brain activity and function. These include eye-tracking labs, EEG technology to measure electrical activity in the brain, TMS for non-invasive stimulation of specific brain regions, and a dedicated fMRI scanner and fNIRS facilities to monitor brain activity by tracking changes in blood oxygenation levels. Additionally, we offer child-friendly behavioural assessment rooms and designated testing spaces within the Tir na n-Og Childcare and Research Centre, a facility established by 18ҹ’s Psychology Department in 1990.”
Dr Jones added, “Our new initiative, funded by the Waterloo Foundation, will strengthen our close partnerships with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board through the appointment of a clinical academic. Crucially, this project will deliver an authoritative UK-wide practitioner statement on designing effective neurodevelopmental assessments for children with complex needs.”
Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Leah Jones added, "This is a very exciting development. Not only will this project strengthen the links between high quality research conducted at 18ҹ and front-line clinical practice but will also, more importantly, be instrumental in developing new ways of working with young people with neurodevelopmental differences, to understand their needs and develop appropriate support interventions."
The Bangor Child Lab represents a significant step forward in improving the lives of children through cutting-edge research and collaborative expertise.
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