The NEST lab studies perinatal factors that may confer risk or protection for neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, the lab examines medical (e.g. neonatal complications, physiologic changes), parental/caregiver (e.g., skin-to-skin care, mental health), environmental (e.g., auditory stimuli), and genetic and epigenetic factors. We think consideration of the ways that individuals of minority and marginalized identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender) may experience different developmental trajectories due to the implicit and systemic biases and barriers encountered is essential in our work.