Dr. Laurel Gabard-Durnam
Dr. Laurel Gabard-Durnam (she/her/hers) is the director of the PINE Lab, Associate Professor of Psychology, and Associate Director of the Institute for Cognitive and Brain Health at Northeastern University. She received a B.A. in Neurobiology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital prior to starting the PINE Lab.
As a developmental cognitive neuroscientist, Dr. Gabard-Durnam’s research explores how different mechanisms of neuroplasticity and early experiences interact to shape brain and behavior development. She is interested in how early life plasticity supports sensory development (visual and auditory) and how sensory plasticity in turn scaffolds higher-order cognitive and language abilities. She addresses these questions across multiple populations and countries to understand foundational and context-specific principles in neurodevelopment.
Dr. Gabard-Durnam’s research program has been supported by funding from The National Science Foundation, The National Institutes of Health, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome LEAP Foundation, and The Autism Science Foundation.
Besides science, she loves cheese, running, and giving away surprises that she’s planned.