Boston University Brain & Early Experiences Lab

Boston University Brain & Early Experiences Lab We are a child development research lab in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University.

Our mission is to support children in reaching their full potential. To learn more about our work, please visit www.bu.edu/beelab. Our research studies include typically developing children as well as children who have experienced various types of early life stress. We take a multifaceted approach to studying child development, using a variety of measures including behavioral tasks; parent questio

nnaires; EEG to assess brain activity patterns; cortisol levels to assess stress physiology; and observation of parent-child free play. We are currently recruiting infants between the ages of 0-6 months for the Social Experiences and Early Development (SEED) Study. In the SEED Study, we visit 6-month-old infants at home. During the home visit, infants play with different toys with their moms, and the moms fill out some questionnaires. With the mom’s permission, we collect saliva samples and a few strands of hair from infant and mom to measure hormone levels. We also look at how infants react to some new and interesting toys. When the same infants are 10 months old, they are invited to the BEE Lab for a follow-up visit. Once again, they check out some fun new toys at our lab and play with their mom. We also will record EEG, a measure of brain activity, using a cap made of soft sponges. Infants will watch a video while wearing the cap, seated on their mom’s lap. Participants in the SEED Study will help us learn more about how the social brain develops. Email us ([email protected]), call us (617-353-9328), or visit our website (http://www.bu.edu/beelab/) to get more information!

08/14/2025

Please fill out this form if you are interested in participating in one of our current (BASS, PATH) or future child development studies.

08/08/2025

Please fill out this form if you are interested in participating in one of our current (BASS, PATH) or future child development studies.

📣 The BEE Lab at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Conference, held May 1–3, 2025! 📣Destiny Crisp, BE...
08/05/2025

📣 The BEE Lab at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Conference, held May 1–3, 2025! 📣

Destiny Crisp, BEE Lab Manager, presented her research on the associations between distinct sleep problems and internalizing behaviors in toddlers.

Shaina Brady, BEE Lab graduate student, shared both a poster and a presentation exploring the neural correlates of motor, language, and socioemotional development in children from rural South Africa.

Zeynep Kombe-Elazab, also a BEE Lab graduate student, presented a poster examining the relationship between environmental and physiological stress and early emotion regulation skills.

We’re proud of our team for contributing meaningful research to the field of child development!

🎓 Congratulations, Dr. Ewell!! 🎉We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible achievement of Arcadia Ewell, who has succes...
07/29/2025

🎓 Congratulations, Dr. Ewell!! 🎉

We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible achievement of Arcadia Ewell, who has successfully completed her Ph.D. in Developmental Science! Her dedication, intellect, and perseverance have made a lasting impact on the BEE Lab and the broader research community.

We are so proud of all she has accomplished and can’t wait to see the amazing things she will do next. We are excited to announce that she will be joining the team at Mount St. Mary’s University as an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Fall.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Ewell on this well-deserved milestone! 👏🎉

🌟 Meet Our BEE Lab Team! 🐝We’re excited to introduce Kendal, one of our amazing undergraduate research assistants in the...
04/18/2025

🌟 Meet Our BEE Lab Team! 🐝

We’re excited to introduce Kendal, one of our amazing undergraduate research assistants in the BEE Lab! Kendal brings incredible energy, curiosity, and dedication to our work, and we're so lucky to have her on the team! 🐝🔬

🎉 Congratulations to our amazing BEE Lab seniors: Patricia Soto, Elizabeth Falo, Liceidy Terrero Martinez, Isa Fassio Ba...
03/31/2025

🎉 Congratulations to our amazing BEE Lab seniors: Patricia Soto, Elizabeth Falo, Liceidy Terrero Martinez, Isa Fassio Bazzi, and Kennedy Walker! 🎉

As the semester comes to a close, we want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible seniors in the BEE Lab! 🐝💛 Your dedication, hard work, and passion have made a lasting impact on our research, our team, and the broader scientific community.

From countless hours in the lab to independent research projects, you’ve truly helped shape the BEE Lab into the special place it is today. We are so proud of everything you’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll achieve in the future!

Let’s give them a big round of applause! 👏🎓✨ Drop a comment below to share your favorite memories or well wishes for our seniors!

✨Meet Zeynep Kombe-Elazab!✨ Zeynep is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Developmental Science program at Boston Univers...
03/28/2025

✨Meet Zeynep Kombe-Elazab!✨

Zeynep is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Developmental Science program at Boston University. Before she joined the BEE lab, she worked as a research assistant in various projects related to child development and psychological well-being. She graduated with BA degrees in Psychology and Philosophy from Istanbul Sehir University and an MA degree in Psychological Sciences from Bogazici University.

She is interested in researching the role parents play in helping their children cope with stressors. Specifically, Zeynep aims to understand how contextual factors such as sociocultural values and socioeconomic indicators influence the development of resilience in children through different parenting factors.

We’re so happy to have Zeynep in the BEE Lab for the next few years! 🐝✨

✨Meet Shaina Brady!✨ Shaina is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Developmental Science program. Prior to joining the BE...
03/28/2025

✨Meet Shaina Brady!✨

Shaina is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Developmental Science program. Prior to joining the BEE Lab at BU, she led various longitudinal developmental studies at Columbia University and Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and earned an MS in Neuroscience and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a BA in Cognitive Science from Pomona College.

Her interests lie in utilizing physiological measures, specifically EEG, to understand the roles of pre- and postnatal environment, adversity, and stress on the brain, cognitive development, and child health, to promote healthy development for children and families.

We’re so thankful to have Shaina in the BEE Lab for the next few years! 🐝✨

✨Meet Arcadia Ewell!✨ Arcadia is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Developmental Science program. Before her time at BU,...
03/28/2025

✨Meet Arcadia Ewell!✨

Arcadia is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Developmental Science program. Before her time at BU, she graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Maryland and completed a two-year post-baccalaureate position as a Faculty Research Assistant in the Neurocognitive Development Lab at UMD, supervised by Dr. Tracy Riggins.

Her research interests center on the effects of chronic, early experiences of stress on children’s neurocognitive development. Specifically, she is interested in how early stress impacts a child’s ability to excel in school and meet cognitive potential. Through the SAM project, she intends to understand how experiences of family strain during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic relate to children’s autobiographical memory development. She also plans to identify risk and protective factors related to autobiographical memory in the context of societal stressors.

After completing her Ph.D., Arcadia intends to pursue a position within education policy. She hopes that she will be able to use the skills gained during her time at BU to conduct policy-focused research that helps to close education gaps and specifically helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds succeed in the classroom.

We’re so grateful to have Arcadia in the BEE Lab! While this is her final year with us, she will always be an invaluable part of our team, and we cannot wait to see everything she accomplishes after BU. 🐝✨

📢 Calling Moms of Preschoolers Aged 3.5-5.5 years old! 📢Curious about your child’s memory? The Brain and Early Experienc...
03/27/2025

📢 Calling Moms of Preschoolers Aged 3.5-5.5 years old! 📢

Curious about your child’s memory? The Brain and Early Experiences (BEE) Lab at Boston University wants to hear from you!

We’re studying how early experiences shape memory in preschoolers and how moms can help support their child’s memory development.

🌟 What’s involved?
✔️ A fun visit to BU, playing games & talking about memories (1–1.5 hours)
✔️ Earn up to $30 & your child gets a toy!

Interested? Learn more & sign up today! ⬇️
📞 617-353-9328
📧 [email protected]
🔗 http://www.bu.edu/cdl/bee/for-parents/register/

HUGE shoutout to our BEE Lab doctoral student, Arcadia Ewell, on her newest paper: How do Children Learn to Manage Their...
03/26/2025

HUGE shoutout to our BEE Lab doctoral student, Arcadia Ewell, on her newest paper: How do Children Learn to Manage Their Emotions? Please comment or DM with any questions. Please visit https://www.bu.edu/cdl/bee/our-research/publications/ for a PDF of the paper.

🌟 How Home Life and Parenting Shape a Child’s Emotions 🌟
A recent study reveals how home environments and parenting styles impact emotion regulation in 3-year-olds—offering key insights into childhood development!

🔍 What Did Researchers Find?
🏡 Calm, structured homes = Better emotional regulation
⚡ Chaotic, unpredictable environments = More difficulty managing emotions

Kids who regulated their emotions well were:
✅ More helpful—For example, when a researcher pretended to be cold, these children were more likely to offer a blanket.
❌ Less likely to misbehave—Children with poor emotional regulation had more behavioral challenges, such as tantrums or difficulty following instructions.

💡 What Can Parents & Caregivers Do?
✔️ Create a structured, calm home—Predictability helps kids feel secure.
✔️ Model healthy emotional responses—Children learn by watching you!
✔️ Encourage kindness & empathy—Helping behaviors start early and last a lifetime.

This study highlights how early emotional development shapes lifelong well-being. Small changes at home can make a big difference!

🍼 Parents of Toddlers: Earn up to $260 from Home! 🍼Do you have a 2- or 3-year-old? We're looking for parents like you to...
03/24/2025

🍼 Parents of Toddlers: Earn up to $260 from Home! 🍼

Do you have a 2- or 3-year-old? We're looking for parents like you to join our remote, paid research studies on toddler sleep and behavior! **Must live within an hour's drive of BU**

👶 Study 1: Behavior and Sleep Screening (BASS)
✔️ Quick 30-minute phone or video interview about your child's sleep and behavior
✔️ Earn $10 for your time

🌟 Study 2: Parents Advancing Toddler Health (PATH)
✔️ Earn up to $260
✔️ Receive free children's toys, parent coaching, AND an electronic tablet to keep!
✔️ Help us learn which parent-coaching programs work best to improve toddler sleep & behavior

📞 Interested?
Contact us today to see if you qualify!

📧 Email: [email protected]
📱 Call/Text: (617) 353-9328
🌐 Learn More: www.bu.edu/cdl/bee/for-parents

Address

64 Cummington Mall, Room 108
Boston, MA
02215

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