Our Research
The Education and Brain Sciences Research Lab (EBRL) seeks to understand why some children are successful at learning to read while others are not. Using neuroimaging and behavioral testing, our NIH and NSF funded studies investigate reading comprehension, Neurofibromatosis Type 1, and the effects of reading interventions in children with and without reading difficulties.
We aim to improve the diagnosis and treatment of children who are struggling learners by combining findings from neurobiological, psychological, and educational perspectives.
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~News~
Vanderbilt HBCD Study Team at Nashville Recovery Fest
Our team on the Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study was proud to be a part of the 2025 RecoveryFest Nashville at East Park on September 27, 2025. We loved meeting members from the community at our booth – especially moms, babies and some special pups – and also connecting with folks from other […]
EBRL at Flux 2025 Dublin, Ireland
EBRL gives a warm wave from the often rainy land of Ireland. Earlier this month the annual Flux conference was held in the lovely Dublin, Ireland, and EBRL made the trip over the pond to attend. Flux is a society for developmental cognitive neuroscience; “dedicated to advancing the understanding for human brain development by serving […]
EBRL at SSSR Conference 2025
It’s once again conference season here at EBRL and once again members of the lab attended the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR) Conference to share our research and interact with our fellow researchers on the field of reading study. Each year representatives of the lab go to learn from fellow scientists and […]
Dr. Laurie Cutting Awarded SEC Faculty Achievement Award
EBRL is proud to report that Dr. Laurie Cutting has been named the 2025 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner. The annual award honors faculty members from across all the 16 SEC universities for dedication to advancing academic excellence through teaching, innovation, and service. Learn more about the award by clicking this link.
EBRL Welcomes Two New Lab Members!
This week EBRL welcomes two new full-time staff members to our roster. We welcome both Robin Friesz and Presley Smith to the team! We’re looking forward to working with them as things move forward.
Natalie Huerta Receives Peabody Special Education Department Award
EBRL’s Natalie Huerta is a recipient of the 2025 Robert Gaylord-Ross Award, a Peabody Special Education Department award for excellence in scholarly writing by a doctoral student. We’re happy to see her being recognized for her hard work, particularly for her scholarly writing! The award was established in 1995 in memory of Dr. Robert Gaylord-Ross […]
EBRL at Brain Blast 2025
We had a lot of fun meeting with future scientists and students at the Vanderbilt Brain Institute’s annual Brain Blast event. Every year at the Nashville Public Library, the VBI puts on a free event for students of all ages to come and learn about real brain science from scientists in the field. This year […]
Congratulations to Chenglin and Xiting Lou!
Celebrations and joy abound as a member of EBRL welcomes a new life into the world. The lab could not be happier for them.
Happy Holidays from EBRL 2024
A Happy Holidays from the crew at EBRL. We had a lot of fun celebrating together and hope you’re looking forward to the new year. Here’s to a lovely 2025!
EBRL on Capital Hill
EBRL’s Dr. Sarah Hughes-Berheim was selected to attend Vanderbilt University’s Federal Stem Policy & Advocacy Workshop: An Inside the Beltway Look. This trip provided Vanderbilt graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) an opportunity to learn how federal STEM policy is made and the role of advocacy by various stakeholders […]