Inspired by a longstanding interest in neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric illness, Dr. Sarah Short’s research has consistently focused on identifying early determinants of neurodevelopmental risk. As an Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry Department at UNC, Dr. Short’s current research projects are designed to: 1) identify white matter connections in the brain that support the emergence of working memory from infancy to 6-years of age, 2) to examine the magnitude and location of experience-dependent structural plasticity in white matter tracts following a standardized working memory training program and, 3) to determine whether a parent-child mindfulness training program will improve working memory and result in measurable brain changes. Her long-term goal is to use this knowledge to design preventive intervention strategies that take advantage of optimal developmental periods of neural plasticity to strengthen neural circuits specific to formative cognitive processes.
