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~
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 […]
Dr. Amanda Martinez-Lincoln Awarded NIH/NICHD Research Career Development Award
Dr. Amanda Martinez-Lincoln was awarded an NIH/NICHD Research Career Development Award. Her K99/R00 will examine the role of executive function during reading and math in children. Learn more about her project at this link: https://reporter.nih.gov/search/v37q1ibXgECjrSnxEy39ag/project-details/10807195#similar-Projects
EBRL at FLUX 2024
] EBRL sends a hearty hello from the scientific conference FLUX! This years conference was held in Baltimore on September 28-30th. Post-docs and PhD students from our lab got a chance to both connect with and present data from our lab to fellow scientists in the field and across disciplines. Scientific conferences like FLUX allow […]
Emily Harriott Awarded Lacy-Fischer Interdisciplinary Research Grant
At Vanderbilt, collaboration between the different colleges is a top priority. The university recognizes that some of the world’s most pressing problems won’t have a solution unless we pool our knowledge together. To that end, the graduate school offers the prestigious Lacy-Fischer Interdisciplinary Research Grants. These grants enable teams across fields to bridge the gap […]