Research Groups

Find out more about the different research groups within the Wee Science team!

ELfLanD – Edinburgh Lab for Language Development

ELfLanD is the Edinburgh Laboratory for Language Development! They study how babies and children learn to speak and understand language. For instance, they are currently studying why parents like to use “baby-talk words”, like choo-choo and doggy, with their children, and whether these words are easier for children to learn. Find out more on the ELfLanD website.

RabLab

The RabLab studies the relationship between how we think about the world and how we talk about it. They ask questions like “Does the language we speak influence the thoughts we think?” and “How do children’s early cognitive abilities affect the structures of the languages they eventually learn?”. Find out more on their website.

Richardson Group

The Richardson Lab uses a variety of methods, including child-friendly neuroimaging experiments, to ask questions like: when do we develop “specialized” brain regions for specific cognitive functions? What computations do these brain regions carry out, and what kinds of neural changes support cognitive development during childhood? What environmental and genetic factors promote or hinder development?. Find out more on their website.