From prevention to recovery: research for children's safety and resilience
We apply developmental psychology, clinical trials, and emerging technologies such as virtual reality, fNIRS and large national datasets to prevent and rehabilitate pediatric injuries.
- students trained
- student presentations
- papers with a student coauthor
Research Areas
Injury is a process, not an event (Peterson et al., 1987). Our work sits across that process, at the intersection of developmental psychology and public health.
Peterson, L., Farmer, J., & Mori, L. (1987). Process analysis of injury situations: A complement to epidemiological methods. Journal of Social Issues, 43(2), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1987.tb01293.x
Injury Prevention
Our injury prevention research focuses on mitigating the risk of injuries across the neurodevelopment spectrum, with topics spanning from dog-bite injury prevention and pedestrian safety to caregiver/provider education. Our approaches to injury prevention sit at the intersection of developmental science, art (e.g., music, storytelling), and digital technologies (e.g., mixed reality).
Brain Injury Rehabilitation
We develop and test cognitive rehabilitation programs for children with traumatic brain injury using technology-assisted interventions. We also apply advanced quantitative methods, including growth mixture modeling and machine learning-enhanced causal inference, to longitudinal databases, tracing how rehabilitation outcomes unfold over time.
Teaching resource: Building a Brain, an interactive 3D model of how the brain develops from conception to age 25.
Neurodiversity
Neurodivergence is not a stage in the injury process. It shapes the whole of it: how much injury risk a child carries, which kinds of injury they are exposed to, and what recovery looks like afterwards. Using both prospective and retrospective designs, we aim to understand and mitigate injury risk among neurodivergent youth with in-depth engagement with the neurodivergent community.
News & opportunities
Meet the lab
A collaborative, interdisciplinary team committed to rigorous science and mentoring the next generation of researchers. Hover a card for their current focus, or click to open their full bio.
Current Members
Alumni
Why join our lab?
A rigorous, supportive environment with real opportunities to lead projects, publish, and present at national conferences.
Hands-on experience with VR development, fNIRS neuroimaging, randomized controlled trials, and national database analysis.
Collaborate with partners at NIH and universities nationwide across psychology, computer science, and medicine.
Students build a real range of skills.
We consider applications on a rolling basis.
Send a message →FAQs
Is prior research experience required?
No. Most undergraduates join without prior research experience and learn the methods here. For graduate applicants, prior research experience is preferred but not required.
Do I have to be a psychology major?
No. Students in the lab have come from diverse training backgrounds, including but not limited to psychology, nursing, public health, and engineering.
What if my interests only partly overlap with your research areas?
Partial overlap is normal, and it is often where new projects come from. The lab's research areas are where its current work sits, not a list of the only questions worth asking.
What do students actually do?
What a given student does depends on the project and on where their interest sits, and it usually changes over time. Example experiences include literature reviews, family interviews, survey data collection, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, manuscript writing, and conference presentations.
Is it too early to join as a first-year or sophomore?
No, it's never too early to join.
Can I volunteer without course credit?
Yes.
How do undergraduates join the lab?
Many undergraduates join through Research Service Learning (PSYC 4880) for course credit. Research assistantships and honours thesis positions are also available.
How are PhD students admitted?
PhD students are admitted through the UMass Lowell Psychology PhD program. Questions before you apply are welcome, including whether your interests fit the lab's current work.
What should I send in a first message?
A brief statement of your research interests, sent from the contact section. It helps to read recent publications first, to understand our research agenda.
Contact
Department of Psychology
850 Broadway Street
Lowell, MA 01854
For questions about the research, collaborations, or applying to the lab.
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