BrainChild Lab
Research & Innovation
Research

BrainChild Lab

Group BrainChild Lab

The BrainChild Lab is carrying out pioneering research in the field of environmental epidemiology and child health, with a special focus on mental health and brain development. The work of the lab has provided unique insights relating air pollution exposure to impaired executive function and alterations in brain morphology and connectivity in children. Extending this line of research, we uncovered the role of climate-related exposures, namely ambient temperature, in shaping psychiatric symptoms, brain development, and sleep.

Another unique signature of our lab is the comprehensive assessment of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure and its relationship with neurodevelopment and sleep in children. Building on this foundation, we coordinate the Horizon Europe project GOLIAT, involving 25 partners from Europe, the US, and Asia. Within this consortium we also lead a major work dedicated to harmonizing cognitive, mental health, and sleep data across 8 European and Asian cohorts.

Our lab also applies state-of-the-art statistical methods to understand the potential causal neuropsychological effects of different environmental exposures. This is particularly important for exposome research, where multiple exposures are assessed simultaneously and causal reasoning is usually not taken into account. We also have substantial expertise on cohort studies.

Team

Leadership

Mònica Guxens
Mònica Guxens ICREA Research Professor

ISGlobal Team

Gemma Castaño
Gemma Castaño Staff Scientist
Lourdes Cirugeda
Lourdes Cirugeda Data Manager INMA
Dora Cserbik
Dora Cserbik Predoctoral Researcher
Ana Espinosa
Ana Espinosa Statistician
Esmée Essers
Esmée Essers Predoctoral Researcher
Laura Granés
Laura Granés Contributor researcher
SUSANA GROS
SUSANA GROS Programme and Project Manager
PATRICIA DE LLOBET
PATRICIA DE LLOBET Research technician
Samantha Ma
Samantha Ma Research Technician
Iolanda Molina
Iolanda Molina Personal Assistant
Sergio Moreno
Sergio Moreno
Altay Myssayev
Altay Myssayev Postdoctoral Fellow
María Pastor
María Pastor Visiting Researcher
Sami Petricola
Sami Petricola GIS Technician
Lorena Porras
Lorena Porras Visiting Researcher
Gabriela P. Peralta
Gabriela P. Peralta Project Manager
Matthew Stamets
Matthew Stamets Research Technician

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This content is related to the following SDGs:

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts