Developmental Neuroimaging Lab

🧠 Did you know prenatal alcohol exposure doesn’t necessarily delay brain development but it changes it?

Our research shows differences in how key brain regions like the amygdala (emotion) and prefrontal cortex (decision-making) grow and communicate over time.

From altered development timing to disrupted brain connectivity, these changes may help explain challenges in emotional regulation, impulsivity, and behaviour.

Lebel lab staff, post-docs & grad students🙌

As much as we value all the hard work we put into research, creating a welcoming and fun atmosphere of people who enjoy working together is just as, if not more, important!

Research shows that stress during pregnancy can shape how the brain develops -impacting everything from emotion to behavior later in life.

But here’s the hopeful part: support, care, and environment can make a powerful difference 🤍

In our lab, we’re passionate about uncovering how early experiences shape the developing brain💡🧠

Who knew some of our best ideas would come with a mountain view? 🏔️

A change of scenery can do wonders - just take a look at these beautiful views! Every year, our lab heads to the mountains to reconnect, collaborate, and just enjoy being together. Last week gave us the perfect mix of productivity, sunshine, and time for both meaningful work and simple moments of joy (like enjoying a little friendly competition)☀️🙌

Our lab members received the sweetest gift from a class they recently presented to 💛
Seeing the joy on the kids’ faces while learning about brains and neurons is already so fulfilling - but receiving a card filled with such thoughtful messages truly felt like the perfect finishing touch!

Fact: Researchers have identified brain signatures in children - across brain structure, activity, and connectivity - that can predict future mood or anxiety disorders, before symptoms ever show up!

That means imaging might one day be used to spot early risk well before clinical signs emerge.

At the Lebel Lab, we’re using similar imaging tools to understand how stress, sleep habits, and environmental factors shape the developing brain, and to think about early intervention.

Finds from article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451902225000928?via%3Dihub

Introducing Nina!

I joined the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab in 2026 as a postdoctoral fellow after completing my PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Zurich. During my PhD, I investigated the mechanisms underlying multisensory statistical and reinforcement learning across development by combining behavioural, computational modelling, and neuroimaging approaches. My research focuses on how brain development relates to emerging cognitive abilities and individual differences in cognition and language. With Dr. Lebel, I am developing methods to harmonize and integrate multimodal MRI, behavioural, and environmental data, with the aim of understanding how early brain development relates to later cognitive outcomes.

It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since COVID-19 first started, and since we launched our Pregnancy During the Pandemic Study🚀

Looking back to when our participants were just toddlers… and now they’re in school🎒 From a time when masks were part of everyday life to now, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve all come - and to continue witnessing these little ones grow👦

Little brains are kind of a big deal. 🧠💥

Did you know a child’s brain is making over 1 million new neural connections every second in the early years? 🤯

Swipe through to discover some mind-blowing brain facts about kids — and why early experiences matter more than we think.

Brains, magnets, and a little bit of magic 🧠✨

Did you know MRI scanners use powerful magnets (not radiation!) to create detailed images of the brain? They can pick up differences in soft tissue so precisely that we can study structure, function, and even how different regions communicate with each other.

From mapping neural pathways to uncovering how we think, feel, and learn - MRI helps us see the brain in action!