Developmental Science Colloquium: Dr. Arianna Gard - Generalizability and Ethical Representation in Human Neuroscience Research
| When |
Apr 27, 2022
from 12:30 PM to 02:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Where | Benjamin Building, Room 1121 |
| Contact Name | S. Alexa McDorman |
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Generalizability and Ethical Representation in Human Neuroscience Research
Arianna Gard
Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
Abstract
Structural and functional neuroimaging have become powerful and widespread tools to study human behavior. Ostensibly, this research is intended to study population-level processes – e.g., memory, attention, language development. In recent years, neuroscientists have heeded calls for larger sample sizes (Button et al., 2013). But what about population representation (Falk et al., 2013)? This talk examines issues of sampling, representation, and ethics in human neuroscience research. First, I will present the results of a structured review of human neuroimaging studies published in 2019 that documents current methodological practices in our field. Second, I use data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to describe the tenants of Population Neuroscience and limitations imposed by selection biases that are present even in large samples. Third, I will introduce a new collaborative project at UMD led with Drs. Fanita Tyrell (Psychology) and Collin Mueller (Sociology) - the Representation And Research Ethics (RARE) Project.
Short Bio
Dr. Gard is an Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology, Faculty Affiliate in the Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience (NACS), Social Data Science Center, and the Maryland Population Research Center, and Director of the Growth And Resilience across Development (GARD) Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park. Together with her students and collaborators, she studies how environmental adversity and promotive factors shape children’s brain and behavioral development – with a particular focus on how features of the neighborhood context guide risk and resilience processes. A prominent goal of her work is to increase sociodemographic diversity in neurobiological research by including historically under-represented groups in research design and implementation.