Research in our lab is primarily aimed at increasing our understanding of the cognitive and neural processes underlying typical and atypical development. As such, much of our work focuses on the development of cognitive abilities in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism, PKU) as well as the neurocognitive changes associated with pharmaceutical and behavioral interventions in these populations. In addition to conducting behavioral studies, we also utilize neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, sMRI, DTI) to better elucidate the neural substrates of cognition in individuals with and without early brain injury. Some of our most recent work has focused on behavioral and brain improvements associated with treatment in individuals with PKU.
Clocksin, H. E., Abbene, E. E., & Christ, S. E. (in press). A Comprehensive Assessment of Neurocognitive and Psychological Functioning in Adults with Early-Treated Phenylketonuria (PKU). Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.
Brown, A. A., Clocksin, H. E., Abbene, E. E., & Christ, S. E. (in press). Basal Ganglia Morphometry in Individuals with Early-Treated Phenylketonuria. Molecular Genetics & Metabolism.
Cissne, M. N., Kester, L. E., Gunn, A., Bodner, K. E., Miles, J. H., & Christ, S. E. (2022). Brief Report: A Preliminary Study of the Relationship between Repetitive Behaviors and Concurrent Executive Function Demands in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 52(4), 1896–1902. [PubMed]
Clocksin, H. E., Hawks, Z. W., White, D. A., & Christ, S. E. (2021). Inter- and Intra-Tract Analysis of White Matter Abnormalities in Individuals with Early-Treated Phenylketonuria (PKU). Molecular Genetics & Metabolism, 132, 11-18. [PubMed]
Hegarty, J. P., Zamzow, R. M., Ferguson, B. J., Christ, S. E., Porges, E. C., Johnson, J. D., and Beversdorf, D. Q. (2020). Beta-adrenergic antagonism alters functional connectivity during associative processing in a preliminary study of individuals with and without autism. Autism, 24, 795-801. [PubMed]