Director of the ACNC Budding Brain Lab
Education
B.A., Arabic/Anthropology, Ohio State University
M.A., Physical Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University
Ph.D., Neurobiology, Kent State University
Biography
Dr. Larson-Prior’s research focuses on interactions between the brain and environmental factors such as nutrition and sleep across the lifespan, and in both health and disease. Her laboratories use several neuroimaging tools, from electroencephalography (EEG) to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), using both for measurement during tasks and quiet wake. She is part of a large international team of investigators focused on brain development from the perinatal period through early childhood (HEALthy Brain and Child Development), with the goal of providing a normative dataset on the impact of developmental differences on cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional function. As part of the EEG team, her laboratory will provide information on the development of dynamic brain network activity. In adults, her primary research focus is on Parkinson’s Disease, where she investigates changes in cognitive/motor function
Research Interests
Dr. Larson-Prior and the Budding Brain Laboratory’s research focus is on cognitive development and function in children. This focus is expanded in the Neurocognitive Development Laboratory to include adults. Her projects work to address the impact of environmental conditions; specifically, nutritional status, weight status and sleep; on cognitive function across the lifespan. Each of these environmental factors influences cognitive function and may adversely impact school and work performance if dysregulated in childhood. To better understand the impact of these environmental factors on brain function, her lab employs neuroimaging, behavioral and neuropsychological methods, and a multi-disciplinary researcher team. This approach to looking at the way the brain works is called “connectomics,” and is another important tool her laboratory uses to better understand the role of behavioral and neural state on function across the lifespan.
Neurocognitive Dynamics Laboratory (UAMS)
Budding Brains Lab
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