Our Mission

The Pediatric Brain Imaging Laboratory at Columbia University aims to identify the brain bases of childhood psychiatric disorders and to map the complex pathways between the genetic and environmental influences that can trigger the onset of disease or adversely alter its course.

Our studies use various forms of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a safe, noninvasive technology for observing the internal structure, activity, and chemical make-up of the human brain. MRI represents a milestone in medical research: for the first time, we can associate the genesis and behavioral symptoms of psychiatric disorders with specific regions of the brain. Armed with this knowledge, clinicians can develop and hone patient treatments with an efficacy previously unknown.

The Laboratory is a nexus for multi-disciplinary studies that investigate the most common neuropsychiatric disorders in children and young adults. Symptoms of these disorders are often debilitating, endangering both emotional and behavioral development, and the repercussions of these disorders can disrupt or devastate the lives of the individual, the family, and even the community.

The Laboratory for Pediatric Brain Imaging & Developmental Neuroscience is a part of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University. The laboratory is directed by Bradley S. Peterson, M.D.

Areas of Research

• Normal Development
• Tourette's Syndrome (TS)
• Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Autism
• Anxiety Disorders

• Depression
• Bipolar Disorder
• Violent and Antisocial Behavior
• Trauma
• Premature Birth
• Cognitive & Learning Disabilities
• Drug Abuse and Prenatal Drug Exposure