The brain is very complex, and normal development involves the migration of cells and the formation of trillions of connections between brain cells. When any part of this process is disrupted, the result can be a neurodevelopmental disorder. These disorders can affect emotion, learning, self-control and memory and include autism, intellectual disability and epilepsy.

Both diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders can be difficult. This is largely because little is known about the mechanisms underlying these conditions or ways of preventing and repairing neural damage. Our researchers are working to gain a deeper understanding of brain development at the foundational level as a means of improving diagnoses and treatment options for families, children and adults living with these disorders.

3D illustration. Image of a baby inside the womb.

Related Researchers

Learn more about the clinical and foundational scientists who are studying brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Name and Contact Info Title Research Interests
Professor, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
nervous system, neurodegeneration, drosophilia
Professor and Head, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, UBC
nervous system, developmental neuroscience, glial cells, gliotactin
Associate Director, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
cognition, cell biology, nervous system
Professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, UBCO
neurodegenerative disease, cancer, neurotrophin, cytokine signalling, cell death
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
inflammation, neurogenetics, proteomics, schizophrenia
Assistant Professor, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
memory, hippocampus, cell types, big data
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
epigenetics, childhood brain cancer, neurodevelopment, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration
Professor, Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria
hippocampus, synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, exercise, mild traumatic brain injury, concussion, fragile-x syndrome, prenatal ethanol exposure, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, depression
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
epigenetics, brain development, neurodevelopmental disorders, neuroimmunology, microglia
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
developmental neuroscience, neuroplasticity, autism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer disease, basic science, epilepsy
Affiliate Professor, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
systems neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, functional neuroimaging, neurotechnology, neuroplasticity
Professor & Head, Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
executive function, developmental neuroscience, learning, behaviour, cognition
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
infant development, neural networks, learning, vision, audition, language, face perception, fNIRS, memory
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
ophthalmology, dyslexia, amblyopia, fMRI, MRI, motion perception, developmental neuroscience
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, UBCO
Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Professor, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Professor, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
autism, epilepsy, neuroplasticity, developmental neuroscience
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, ultrasound imaging, image-guided surgery, computer-aided diagnostics, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, traumatic brain injury, brain health, liver and lung disease, endometriosis
Professor, School of Computing Science, Simon Fraser University
medical image analysis, artificial intelligence, neuroimaging, medical computer vision
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UBC
Biosensors, Affinity reagents, Neuromodulators, Real-time Neurochemical sensors, Aptamers, Brain plasticity, Dopamine circuitry, Serotonin circuitry, Neurodegenerative diseases, Biomarker discovery
Associate Professor, School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, UBC
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UBC
bioinformatics, systems biology, Alzheimer disease, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolomics
Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
neuroethics, neurotechnology, neuroimaging, neurodegeneration, dementia, regenerative medicine
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Adjunct Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC
Neuroimaging, Brain Connectome, Machine Learning
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
stroke, traumatic brain injury, foundational science
Professor, Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Medical Genetics, UBC
Professor and Head, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Neonatal Neurology, White Matter Injury, Stroke, Preterm Birth, Congenital Heart Disease, Hypoxia-Ischemia, MRI, DTI
Associate Professor, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, UBC
developmental biology, neuroscience, Caenorhabditis elegans
Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
foundational science, neurodegenerative diseases, drug discovery
Associate Professor, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Cellular and molecular neuroscience
Professor, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
developmental neuroscience, basic science
Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
developmental neuroscience, foundational science, computer science, imaging
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
neuroinformatics, computer science
Associate Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, Huntington disease, Fragile X syndrome, multiple sclerosis, preclinical translational research, animal models, human pluripotent stem cells, genome engineering
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Applied Science, School of Nursing
prematurity, brain developement, early-life adversity, pain, translational research
Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, UBC
Microglia, Hypothalamus, Fetal Development, Maternal Challenge, Stress
Professor, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, UBC
developmental neuroscience, nervous system
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia, neurodegeneration, developmental neuroscience, basic science
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Neurology (Medicine), UBC
schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, psychosis, autism, intellectual disability
Professor, Medical Sciences and Associate Director, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria
neuroplasticity, neurite growth, neurodevelopment, ion channels, receptor trafficking
Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
traumatic brain injury, mTBI, mild traumatic brain injury, concussion, imaging , developmental neuroscience, cognition
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University
Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
neuroplasticity, stroke, epilepsy, foundational science
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Professor Emerita, Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, UBC
developmental cognitive neuroscience, infant speech

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