FOUNDCOG
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Understanding infant development.

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Foundations of Cognition

We are a group of researchers interested in the development of infants in their first year of life. We want to know what infants are thinking and how they are learning.

By studying healthy infants, we aim to improve understanding of brain development during the first year and to improve diagnoses and therapies for infants who have a difficult start in life.
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Uncovering the infant mind through modelling and neuroimaging

By the time infants reach a few years old they have developed many complex cognitive functions. For example they can walk, talk and solve problems. These cognitive abilities do not suddenly appear, but instead they emerge from a combination of innate mechanisms and life experience. Our group is trying to understand how these seemingly complex processes develop over the course of an infant's first year of life.

In collaboration with Dublin's maternity hospitals, we'll recruit one of the largest cohorts of babies and parents to take part in our FOUNDCOG study. Using an MRI scanner, we will take pictures of your baby's busy brain in action as they simply watch cartoons.

But neuroimaging methods can only take us so far; our approach is to also harness the benefit of using computational models for development. Deep learning, the technology underlying modern artificial intelligence, has recently made strides in modelling the functions of the adult brain and now we will explore whether these artificial neural networks can provide a testable model of how human infants learn. 
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Upcoming Events

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​We are excited to announce the rehearsal residency for the babyGROOVE show, a chilled out 70’s-inspired adventure for babies under 12 months!
 
Join us from 14th to 16th March for Anna Newell Theatre Adventures show, full of gorgeous harmony singing and immersive video for extraordinary audiences. Located in the formally renowned Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin, shows take place daily at 1030 and 1130, with an additional show Wednesday 16th March at 1230. The production lasts twenty minutes with twenty minutes free play where infants will be free to move about, dance and get involved!
 
babyGROOVE is part of the 2022 programme from The Network For Extraordinary Audiences and is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. It is featuring in conjunction with Creative Brain Week, 12th to 16th March 2022 and in collaboration with the FOUNDCOG project, Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience.

​Come join us and be amazed at how your infant will appreciate such a wonderful, engaging and multi-sensory approach to drama! Please see here for tickets 

Previous Events.

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Please see our recording of our classical Christmas concert that took place, December 6th 2021. In collaboration with Trinity Orchestra, we present 'Bach for Babies', an innovative programme of infant lullabies and Christmas favourites such as Ave Maria and Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Be captivated for an hour of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms! 

Our clinical research partners
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​https://www.cusacklab.org/
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