@umn-midb.bsky.social
The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain is dedicated to fostering the healthy brain function of children across the lifespan.
Hormonal milieu influences whole-brain structural dynamics across the menstrual cycle using dense sampling in multiple individuals
@carinaheller.bsky.social, @uni-jena.de,
@umn-midb.bsky.social, @icsantabarbara.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thrilled to share that I have been awarded a @bbrfoundation.bsky.social Young Investigator Grant!
21.08.2025 16:03 β π 2 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Ethics Grand Rounds webinar featuring speaker Sarah Gollust, PhD, on Friday, Oct. 3 from 12-1 p.m. CDT.
Please join us for our upcoming Ethics Grand Rounds webinar, βPublic Perceptions of Health Equity and How Communication Can Shape Understanding and Actionβ featuring Sarah Gollust, PhD.
ποΈ: Friday, Oct. 3, 2025
β±οΈ: 12-1 p.m. (CDT)
Register Now! Itβs free: z.umn.edu/ap9m
Graphic with the title 'Mood Disorders Sprint.' On the left, a smiling woman hugs a young girl. On the right, four teenagers stand outside together, smiling with backpacks, notebooks, and headphones
Join us for a free Mood Disorders Sprint, part of our larger Project ECHO webinar series!
ποΈ Thursdays, Sept. 25-Oct. 16, 12-1 p.m.
Ideal for primary care, pediatric, behavioral health, mental health & educational providers!
Register β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/mdsprint
Headshot photos of Dr. Mark Schleiss (left) and Dr. Meghan Swanson (right).
π Big news: With a $3.3M NIH grant, MIDB members Meghan Swanson, PhD, and Mark Schleiss, MD, are leading a first-of-its-kind study of infants born with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV).
Learn more β‘οΈ med.umn.edu/news/univers...
Inspired by a personal health journey, our teammate Russell is competing in the Madison Ironman on Sept. 7 to raise funds for the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain.
Join him in supporting brain health β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/RussellIronmanMIDB
Dr. Damien Fair, co-director of MIDB, is part of a team making breakthroughs in mental health. His work is helping to show how a personalized brain "pacemaker" gave a man with severe depression relief, allowing him to experience joy again. Read more β‘οΈ www.newscientist.com/article/2493...
20.08.2025 21:40 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Graphic with the following text: Research study seeking M/E/D/B (Mental, Emotional, Developmental, and Behavioral Health) child and adolescent providers. Includes a bubble that says "online survey" and the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration and Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain logo.
Are you a provider or care connector? Help us better understand community needs and experiences in accessing childrenβs mental, emotional, developmental, and behavioral health by participating in a series of surveys. Learn more about the research study β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/BHSurvey
20.08.2025 21:15 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
A man (Russell) wearing a light blue button-up shirt, green hiking pants, sunglasses, and a hat smiles at the camera. He is holding two hiking poles and stands on a rocky mountain path. In the background, there is a large, snow-capped mountain peak.
A family of three smiles at the camera for a portrait. A man in a dark blue shirt (Russell) stands on the right, with a woman in a black floral dress on the left. A young girl with reddish-blonde hair stands in front of them, smiling. They are standing in front of a body of water at sunset.
Inspired by a personal health journey, our teammate Russell is competing in the Madison Ironman on Sept. 7 to raise funds for the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain.
Join him in supporting brain health β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/RussellIronmanMIDB
We wrote a piece for @naturemedicine.bsky.social π§
Menstrual cycle irregularities can be both cause and consequence of wide-ranging health issues.
Embracing this complexity could reveal novel brainβbody interactions and advance neuroscience.
Check out our commentary www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I still get chills
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Spending time outside isnβt just enjoyableβitβs good for your health π³ Cathy Jordan, PhD, a member of MIDB, joined @mprnews.org to talk about the science behind nature and wellbeing.
Listen here π§ www.mprnews.org/episode/2025...
π Shout out to the
ABCD consortium @theabcdstudy.bsky.social
NBDC Data Hub and @lassoinfo.bsky.social cial
@umn-midb.bsky.social and and UMNβs MSI (file-based data host)
NIDA leadership
and all researchers enabling this next wave of discovery.
Start exploring now via π nbdc-datahub.org
Dr. Damien Fair speaking at the Mental Health Action Festival at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. Dr. Fair is accompanied by an interpreter, name unknown.
The Mental Health Action Festival at MIDB was a vibrant celebration of science and community!
Thanks to the CEEd Hub and the Strong Body Strong Mind Foundation, and to all who joined us for performances and meaningful conversations with MIDB experts π§
Paper mache dolls displayed in a wooden box with flowers and greenery.
Paper mache crafts displayed in a wooden box with flowers and greenery.
A wall with youth-created artwork pieces, as well as a wooden like sculpture.
Paper mache dolls displayed in a wooden box with flowers and greenery.
This past month, Dr. Katie Cullen hosted a celebration at MIDB for participants of Imagination Centralβa research study that incorporated a 9-month weekly arts and science after-school program. Guests enjoyed a short film, conversation & an exhibit of teen-created work! π¨
12.06.2025 18:09 β π 2 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Dr. Michael Georgieff joined Ken Freed on The Kindness Chronicles to discuss how music literacy shapes brain development in children πΆ
Have a listen β‘οΈ www.iheart.com/podcast/269-...
Dr. Simacek presents at the 2025 Military Mental Health Conference at Little Falls, Minnesota. She stands beside a podium and gestures while speaking. A screen behind her displays a slide about the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, including a photo of the MIDB building and a diagram of its collaborative focus areas.
Jessica Simacek, PhD, recently presented at the 2025 Military Mental Health Conference in Little Falls, Minn., sharing insights in a talk titled "Improving Access to Pediatric Behavioral Health Care for Military-Connected Children and Families" π§
02.05.2025 19:00 β π 2 π 1 π¬ 0 π 1
Youth community journalists at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain in Minneapolis.
MIDB is excited to partner with the Strong Body Strong Mind Foundation's Youth Community Journalism Institute on "Brain Health Solutions for All"βa new, youth-led project to make brain science more accessible, inclusive, and community-driven. Learn more β‘οΈ
www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-p...
A Black woman in military camouflage embraces her young daughter as they look at a laptop together. The woman is smiling warmly and leaning in close, while the girl, wearing a light purple shirt, smiles softly.
April is the Month of the Military Child! Military families often face added challenges when seeking support for developmental, emotional or behavioral health. MIDB is proud to partner with the Department of Defense make care more accessible through telehealth β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/MIDBDoDStudy
30.04.2025 21:36 β π 2 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Smiling young child holding colorful plastic toys, including blue and green rings, while interacting with an adult. The background shows part of a playpen with bright green accents.
New research, led by MIDB members, sheds light on early development in children with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), a condition where the brainβs two sides are not fully connected π§
Learn more β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/ACCStudy
Frequent moves. Complex systems. Limited access. Military families face unique challenges when seeking care for their childrenβs behavioral health. MIDB is working to change thatβby improving telehealth and making services easier to find and access β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/MIDBDoDStudy
25.04.2025 15:28 β π 2 π 1 π¬ 0 π 1
Cathy Jordan, PhD, a member of MIDB, is partnering with the Children & Nature Network to strengthen the connection between kids and the natural world π
βThis work is about getting kids outsideβfor their health, and for the good of the planet."
More β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/BenefitsOfNature
Jed Elison, PhD, a member of MIDB, was recently named a Distinguished McKnight University Professor! This prestigious title recognizes outstanding University of Minnesota faculty members who have recently achieved full professor status.
Congratulations, Dr. Elison! π
Brain scans may be able to detect autism in children as young as six months old, according to a first-of-its-kind study happening in Minnesota.
10.04.2025 23:29 β π 7 π 3 π¬ 1 π 2
Celebratory graphic for "Month of the Military Child" with photos of military families and themed text.
April is the Month of the Military Child. With over 1.6 million military children facing unique challenges, MIDB is proud to partner with the Department of Defense to support them. Learn more about our study β‘οΈ z.umn.edu/MIDBDoDStudy
03.04.2025 20:32 β π 2 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
The Consortium on Law and Values is co-sponsoring a conversation with brain research experts. Register today and join us on April 17! Consortium Co-Chair Francis X. Shen is a panelist. consortium.umn.edu/lecture/port... @umn-midb.bsky.social @umnlawschool.bsky.social @neuroethics.bsky.social
25.03.2025 12:45 β π 1 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
This past weekend, MIDB's CEEd Hub teamed up with University of Minnesota Extension for Spotlight Science: Brain Power at the @bellmuseum.bsky.social! π§ β¨ Over 400 visitors explored the brain through hands-on activities like our lobe puzzle & hemisphere challenge.
17.03.2025 15:03 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
To better understand how oral contraceptives affect the brain, neuroscientist Carina Heller volunteered herself as a subject. She plans to make her dataβfrom her many brain scans, blood tests and moreβopenly available.
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-imagin...
#neuroskyence #neuroscience
The Consortium is co-sponsoring an interactive conversation with brain research experts. Register today and join us on April 17! Consortium Co-Chair Francis X. Shen, JD, PhD, is one of the panelists. @umnlawschool.bsky.social @umn-midb.bsky.social neuroethics.med.ubc.ca/ccpmri/
14.03.2025 15:46 β π 1 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Graphic of upcoming Ethics Grand Rounds webinar featuring speakers Monique Jindal, MD, MPH, and Nathan T. Chomilo, MD, FAAP, FACP.
You are invited to our Ethics Grand Rounds webinar, βWhere Do We Go From Here? Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Pediatric Health Disparities in 2025 and Beyondβ with Monique Jindal, MD, MPH, and Nathan T. Chomilo, MD, FAAP, FACP.
ποΈ: Friday, Apr. 4, 2025
β±οΈ: 12-1 p.m. CST
Register today: z.umn.edu/a8bn
