Exploring infant brain development

The Howell MIND Lab is a group of Virginia Tech scientists working at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke, VA. We are dedicated to improving mother-infant health outcomes for our community by exploring the factors that influence healthy infant brain and behavioral development. We help families in our community through scientific research and provide a welcoming environment for our research participants.

Our Values

We seek to be an invaluable source of unbiased, nonjudgmental, scientifically reliable information for all mothers and their babies. We aim to support families in building the confidence to make choices that are right for them by providing this information. We stand in solidarity with all those who do not accept the current maternal health disparities that exist in women of color, or the lack of respect given to all mothers, regardless of their backgrounds. We strive to promote and support diverse perspectives by mitigating the obstacles that come with socioeconomic exclusion. We respect the lived experiences of all, and welcome all to become a part of the MIND Lab community. Together we can work towards shaping a more equitable, just, and welcoming world for all babies!

 

 

What kind of research activities do we do?

We perform a variety of assessments, while focusing on provide a welcoming, safe environment for all of our research participants. All of our research methods are safe, non-invasive, and help our researchers understand and define characteristics that influence healthy infant brain development. Known factors that are important to healthy neurodevelopment include feeding and sleep habits, nutrition, stress levels, and social interactions.

Research activities may include:

  • Brain imaging

  • Playing with toys (behavior and development assessments)

  • Online surveys for mom
  • Collection of mother and infant biosamples

  • Collection of infant movement information

What to expect during your study visit:

Current Studies

We at the Howell MIND Lab want to gain a better understanding of characteristics that influence baby brain development. We are actively recruiting for multiple studies. Please click on each to learn more!

The HBCD Study will follow approximately 7,500 participating families across the United States from pregnancy through early childhood, with the Virginia Tech site enrolling about 300 families. Our long-term goal is to better understand how child development is affected by exposure to social and environmental experiences and conditions.

Recent advances in technology and developments in research allow us to explore in more detail how early exposures interact with brain development and other social and health outcomes. Knowledge gained from this research will have lasting impacts on future generations of children.

This study seeks to better understand the characteristics that influence brain development. In order to do that we will collect several different types of data from both mother and baby across two years. We collect this data by remotely observing interactions between mother and baby (via Zoom), surveys about mother and baby’s health, environment, and past experiences, analyzing infant stool samples, analyzing breast milk samples, and non-invasive infant brain imaging.

For this study, we are looking for mothers and their babies aged 3 to 18 months to participate. Study tasks would include non-invasive brain imaging while interacting together, playing games, and other simple tasks over one to more in-person visits.

This study seeks to understand how babies learn to move and how it relates to brain development to help with early identification of motor challenges. For this project, we are looking for babies 3-8 months old to participate in one to two visits using brain scans, movement tests, and parent surveys.

Fill Out an Interested Participant Form to Learn More!

Past Studies

This study seeks to understand the impact of opioid exposure during pregnancy and how it may affect babies’ gut and brain development over the course of a year. For this study, we are looking for pregnant mothers who have used opioids during pregnancy and their babies. Participation in this study will include games, questionnaires, baby brain imaging, collecting infant stool, and collecting mother’s breast milk samples.

 

This study looks at how different components of human milk may impact babies’ brain development over the first 3 months of life.  Participation will include baby brain imaging, collecting breast milk samples, collecting infant stool samples, and completing questionnaires examining behavior and health. Participants must intend to exclusively breastfeed until their baby is at least 3 months old.

This study examines how opioid exposure during pregnancy affects placental health and whether any changes might be related to babies’ neurobehavioral development. Participants must be pregnant mothers who have used opioids during pregnancy and their babies. This study would involve a placenta sample collection and two in-person neurobehavioral assessments.

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Our Team

Brittany HowellBrittany Howell

Brittany Howell

LAB DIRECTOR

Dr. Howell was born and raised in southern New Hampshire, but has spent most of her adult life in the southern US. First in New Orleans, LA while earning her BS in Neuroscience and Cell and Molecular Biology at Tulane University (2006), and then again in Atlanta, GA while earning her PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University (2013). She then moved to Minnesota where she was a postdoctoral scholar with Dr. Jed Elison at the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2014). She joined the faculty at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in August of 2019. Her research is focused on understanding how moms impact brain development in their infants, with the ultimate goal being to use this understanding to better support families through developing best practices and policies. She enjoys travel, food, and spending time with her two little girls Nellie and Eliza, her husband Daniel, two dogs Olive and Dinah, and cats, Gozer and Gumbo. Dr. Howell is grateful and excited to be a part of the thriving community that is the Roanoke Valley.

Megan Sanctuary

SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
JamieJamie

Jamie Holt

DRY LAB MANAGER

Originally from northern Alabama, Jamie graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she studied spatial learning and memory. She then headed up north, briefly working in the Environmental Testing industry and starting a family in Burlington, Vermont. After nine years, she and her husband decided to move somewhere closer to family and with friendlier winters, so they relocated to beautiful Roanoke, Virginia, where Jamie serendipitously found and joined the Howell Lab. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering, yoga, and just about any activity where she can get outside and into nature.

Rebecca Carpio

WET LAB MANAGER

Born and raised in Staunton, Va. She received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in mathematics from The College of William and Mary. Rebecca also received a Master’s degree at the George Washington University in Genomics and Proteomics. Rebecca’s previous research includes: immunology, retroviruses (HIV and HTLV), Rift Valley Fever Virus, and in vitro diagnostics for enteric diseases. Rebecca and her husband Larry live in South Roanoke with their two sons- Jonah and Jacob. Rebecca enjoys running, cooking, gardening and being outside with her family.

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Megan Evans

TBMH GRADUATE STUDENT

Born and raised in Richmond Virginia, Megan graduated from Christopher Newport University with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience in 2019. After graduation, she worked in a lab that focuses on motor development in infants born preterm, where she discovered her passion for working with children. In 2021, she was accepted into the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health doctoral program to continue studying infant and child brain development. Outside of the lab Megan enjoys playing with her cat Hazel and doing yoga.

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Claudia Carreno

HDFS GRADUATE STUDENT

Claudia was born in San Antonio, Texas and raised all over the world as a military brat. She first earned her B.A. in Psychology at Richmond, the American International University in London, and her M.S. in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Dallas. After working in early childhood education and neuroimaging research she is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Human Development at Virginia Tech. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, hiking, and trying new recipes.

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Blakely Lockhart

TBMH GRADUATE STUDENT

Born and raised in Richmond Virginia, Blakely graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2020 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and minors in Biology and Leadership where she was heavily involved in undergraduate research. After graduation, she ran for state office in the Virginia House of Delegates. Following the campaign, she consulted for other campaigns to encourage youth support and DEI initiatives which furthered her passion for public service. In 2022 she relocated to Roanoke and joined Dr. Howell’s lab to pursue maternal health and infant development research. In her free time, she enjoys baking, volunteering, and traveling.

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Chinaka

TBMH GRADUATE STUDENT

Danielle Murray

HBCD COORDINATOR

Julie Peck

HBCD STUDY NAVIGATOR

Born in a small rural area in Far Southwest, Virginia, she was raised  in a town called Honaker. In her young adult life, she endured many trials and hardships, but she was determined to overcome and use those challenges to better herself. After the loss of her child in 2011, she obtained her Doula Certification and later her Peer Recovery Specialist certification through the state of Virginia. She has extensive experience serving her local communities through community outreach, volunteering within the pregnancy and infant loss community, working with the local Community Action in trauma informed crisis services, and working as a volunteer PRS for the Russell County Recovery Houses and an organization in Eastern, VA. Julie has joined the MIND Lab as their Peer Navigator. Julie and her husband Gregory reside in Far Southwest,VA, and are parents to 5 beautiful children. She enjoys spending time with her family, furthering her education, metal smithing, painting, and clay work in her spare time.

Joshua James

HBCD ANCILLARY STUDY COORDINATOR

Caelan King

LEAD HBCD RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Olivia Olinger

HBCD RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Alexandria

Conner

HBCD RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Gemma Ruiz

HBCD RESEARCH ASSISTANT
CollinCollin

Collin Gregg

RESEARCH DATA ANALYST

Kara

Wingo

HBCD ANCILLARY STUDY RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Ben Onwi

HBCD ANCILLARY STUDY RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Alli

Seifert

VTCSOM STUDENT

Koren

Smith

HBCD SCHEDULER

Cecil Peck

RECRUITMENT ASSISTANT

Ava Axtell

RECRUITMENT ASSISTANT

Mallory

French

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

La’valle

Marfo

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Melina

Nejadian

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Lab Alumni

Sarah

Yosief

FORMER VTCSOM STUDENT

Dr. Yosief is currently an Internal Medicine Resident at Duke University.

Dawn

Wright

FORMER VTCSOM STUDENT

Dr. Wright is currently a Neurology Resident at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Eunkyung

Shin

FORMER POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE

Dr. Shin is currently an Assistant Research Professor in the Cognition, Affect, and Temperament Laboratory at Penn State University

Jasmine

Johnson

FORMER TBMH STUDENT

Dr. Johnson is currently a Data Coordinator at Open Table.

Catherine

Lavallee

FORMER VTCSOM STUDENT

Dr. Lavallee is currently a Resident in Pediatrics at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA.

Nneoma

Edokobi

FORMER VTCSOM STUDENT

Dr. Edokobi is currently a Resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Novant Health, Charlotte, NC.

Audrey

Humphries

FORMER VTCSOM STUDENT

Dr. Humphries is currently a Resident in Ophthalmology,  Larkin Health System, Miami, FL.

Kelly

Ingram

FORMER VTCSOM STUDENT

Dr. Ingram is currently a Resident in Internal Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill

Publications

Dr. Howell’s research has been published in more than 20 academic journals.

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Recent News

From child brain development research to Capitol Hill advocacy

From child brain development research to Capitol Hill advocacy By Lena Ayuk 3 Apr 2025 Infant neurodevelopment researcher Blakely Lockhart is one of 10 people nationwide to be named a 2025 Early Career Policy Ambassador by the Society for Neuroscience. Beginning with Capitol Hill Day, the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting with [...]

Want to participate in a study?

The MIND Lab is now recruiting pregnant mothers and mothers of infants under 8 months in the Roanoke, VA area to participate in research studies. If you’d like to learn more, please fill out an interest form below.

Fill out an Interested Participant Form