UCD Neuropsychology Lab
We are interested in how the brain and behaviour develops
Welcome to the official website of the UCD Neuropsychology Lab!
Here, you can learn about our active research projects and lab facilities, and gain an insight into neurodevelopmental, neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions.
LATEST NEWS
Video Game Study: Child Participants Wanted!
April 2022
We are recruiting child participants between the ages of 8-12 to take part in an online video game.
This study looks at a gamified version of the Stop Signal Task, a test used to measure response inhibition, which is often used in measuring impulsive behaviours such as in ADHD. This task is designed in such a way to look like a video game that children often play and we hope they will find enjoyment engaging with it!
The study will be completely online via Zoom, therefore parents and their children are free to participate from the comfort of their own home and at a time that suits them.
There will be two steps to the study. Firstly, a parent/guardian of the child will fill out a questionnaire on behalf of their child (5 mins). Afterwards, the child will take part in the Gamified Stop-Signal Task on a laptop or computer which will take no longer than 15 minutes.
Email Ruth at ruth.gallagher1@ucdconnect.ie to register your interest.
Brain Awareness Week 2022
March 2022
Our lab is delighted to be celebrating Brain Awareness Week 2022 through a public engagement project focused on tics and Tourette syndrome, supported through the Dana Foundation & Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS). From Monday March 14th, we will be running an online awareness campaign with daily posts and activities that you can do from home! Get involved live on our Twitter page @ucdneuropsych.
To mark the end of Brain Awareness Week, members of the TIC-ToCS Project research team will host an online, interactive art-neuroscience event for families and children with tics or Tourette syndrome in Ireland. The event takes place from 5pm to 6:30pm on Tuesday March 22nd 2022. Find out more and register for your free ticket here!
Outcomes of Childhood Epilepsy Survey
November 2021
The UCD Neuropsychology Lab, in conjunction with Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street, are running a research study to learn more about long-term outcomes of childhood epilepsy in Ireland and the UK.
We are looking for adults aged 18 to 35, who had their first seizures before the age of 16, to complete our online survey. We would like siblings of people with childhood epilepsy to complete the survey too.
Follow the survey link to find out more: Outcomes of Childhood Epilepsy Survey
Get in touch with Clara (clara.sherlock@ucdconnect.ie) if you have any questions!
Child Scientists Needed for an Online Research Study!
September 2021
The TIC-ToCS project needs children aged 8 to 12 in Ireland to test out some new neuropsychological tasks. The study involves completing two short games online.
We need lots of children to take part, so please share with anyone who might have some young scientists interested in getting involved! See our Take Part page for more information or go directly to the study using this link.
Get in touch with Lisa (lisa.keenan1@ucdconnect.ie) if you have any questions!
Our Research Study is Seeking Participants!
October 2020
Our latest research study, which is part of the TIC-ToCS Project, is looking for parents of children aged 7 to 17 to complete an online questionnaire. We are interested in sleep and cognition in children with and without Tourette syndrome.
The main aim of the study is to identify potential sleep differences in children with Tourette syndrome compared to children without the condition. We also hope to better understand links between sleep, tics, and everyday behaviour. We will be making family-friendly resources to share our findings here on our website, so watch this space for future updates!
To find out more about how you can take part, visit our Take Part page or use the links below to complete the study.
If you have any questions, you can send an email to Lisa at lisa.keenan1@ucdconnect.ie.
Parents of children with Tourette syndrome can complete the online study here
Parents of children with no history of Tourette syndrome / other developmental conditions can complete the online study here
New Website
June 2020
Welcome to our brand new website!
Everything from our previous site has been moved here under a new domain name:
We hope you enjoy scrolling through our new platform!
UCD Graduate Innovation Festival of Science Virtual Conference
May 2020
Some of our postgraduate researchers took part in a virtual conference with the UCD School of Psychology. This involved creating GIFs to explain current project plans and share recent research findings. GIFs were posted on each lab member’s Twitter page. Take a look at them below and visit our ‘Current Projects’ tab here to find out more about each project!
PhD student Jennifer Keating created this GIF to share some findings from recent research at our Babylab.
PhD student Lisa Keenan created this GIF to provide an overview of our TIC-ToCS project.
PhD student Clara Sherlock created this GIF to provide an overview of our PENNI project.
MPsychSc student Amy McGrane created this GIF to share some findings from our research on neuropsychological assessment in primary school classrooms.
Children’s Art Competition
March 2020
We recently invited aspiring young artists to submit an original teddy bear design to be the face of our Project on Educational and Neuropsychological outcomes of children with Neurological disorders in Ireland (PENNI). We were inundated with submissions from all around the country and are currently carrying out the difficult task of choosing a winner! Keep an eye on our Twitter page for the announcement of the winning design!
SPARC Funding
February 2020
The UCD Neuropsychology Lab received the 2019/2020 Supporting Partnership and Realising Change (SPARC) award from the UCD Careers Network.
With this funding, we designed a project called Journey Through Your Brain, which aims to share knowledge from our lab with the public.
As part of our project, we have a series of blog posts covering topics linked to research in our lab, including infant brain development, sleep, attention, and tics! You can have a read here.
We have also been enjoying creating games and activities designed to explain neuropsychology in a fun and accessible way. These resources will be used in workshops we have planned with primary school students, then shared here on our website for everyone to use!
New Babylab Animation
June 2019
Watch our new animation to see what happens when a baby scientist visits our lab to take part in research!
Babylab Research Study Invitation
May 2019
We are inviting babies from families with ADHD to visit our lab and take part in some research! Have a look at our poster below and read more about this project here.