Natalie Hiromi Brito
About
Natalie Hiromi Brito is a developmental psychologist with training in neurobehavioral assessments, parent-child interactions, and electroencephalography (EEG). Her work broadly focuses on how early social and cultural contexts shape the trajectory of neurocognitive development. Specifically, her research examines associations among early experiences, caregiving, and the concurrent and subsequent development of attention, memory, and language skills during the first three years of life. The first few years of life are a period of rapid neural development, and early environmental experiences have been shown to leave a lasting impact on cognitive and emotional functioning. By investigating the factors that account for individual differences in cognition at the earliest ages, researchers can better understand how child brain and behaviour demonstrate adaptations to specific ecological niches.
Awards
- Boyd McCandless Award, American Psychological Association (APA), 2022
- Kucharski Young Investigator Award, International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (ISDP) 2020
- Gabriel Carras Award, New York University, 2018
- APS Rising Star, Association for Psychological Science (APS), 2017
- Rudel Prize for Neuropsychology Research, Rita G. Rudel Foundation, 2016
Relevant Publications
- Brito, N.H., Werchan, D., Brandes-Aitken, A., Yoshikawa, H., Greaves, A., & Zhang, M. (2022). Paid Maternal Leave and Infant Brain Function at 3-months of age. Child Development. DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13765
- Scott, L., & Brito, N.H. (2022). Supporting Healthy Brain and Behavioral Development During Infancy. Policy Insights from Behavioral and Brain Science. DOI:10.1177/23727322211068172
- Nketia, J., Amso, D., & Brito, N.H. (2021). Towards a more inclusive and equitable developmental cognitive neuroscience. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. DOI:10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101014.
Support Us
CIFAR is a registered charitable organization supported by the governments of Canada, Alberta and Quebec, as well as foundations, individuals, corporations and Canadian and international partner organizations.