Exploring how children learn, adapt, and connect across families and communities.
The Brito Lab examines early development as a dynamic process between children and the people, places, and systems around them. We bring together brain, behavior, physiology, and families' lived experiences to build science that reflects how development unfolds in real life.
What we study
Caregiving and the developing brain
How everyday interaction between parent and infant shapes neural and behavioral outcomes.
Stress, adversity, and resilience
How early stress registers in physiology, and what protects against it.
Language and bilingual development
How the language a baby hears at home shapes early learning.
Development in context
How homes, neighborhoods, and culture shape the environments where development happens.
Studies currently recruiting
Three studies are enrolling now. Completed studies and their publications are on the Research page.
ORCA
How do everyday experiences shape attention and memory in the first year?
Pregnant parents and families with babies 0–4 months
Nationwide, online.
Study details and eligibilityFINS
How do caregiver and infant brains synchronize during interaction?
Caregiver–child dyads
In-person, New York City.
Study details and eligibilityREEF
REEF — Study description coming soon.
Eligibility to be confirmed
Study details and eligibility
Meet Dr. Natalie Brito
Dr. Brito is a developmental psychologist and Associate Professor at Columbia University. Her research explores how culture, context, and caregiving shape early brain and behavioral development in the first years of life. Through this work, she aims to advance scientific theories while generating policy-relevant insights that support caregivers and promote equitable child development across diverse communities.
She is the recipient of the APS Rising Star Award and the APA Boyd McCandless Award, and a CIFAR Global Scholar.
"Working with the Brito Lab has been such a positive experience for our family. The team is warm, professional, and made us feel like real partners in their research — not just subjects."
Families in our studies
Most families take part from home. Tell us about your child and we'll let you know which study fits.