Welcome to the Brain Development and Disorders Lab

Our lab is striving to understand how brain circuits are formed during development and how these circuits mediate behavior. Our studies focus on the development and function of interhemispheric connections of the mammalian brain, and we study animals and people with altered brain wiring.

The corpus callosum is the largest interhemispheric connection in the brain of placental mammals. It forms during prenatal life; in humans this occurs between 12-20 weeks gestation. To understand the development and function of the corpus callosum, we study corpus callosum dysgenesis (CCD), investigating the causes of these disorders, how the brain’s circuitry is altered in CCD, and how these changes might affect cognition. We are also studying the development of circuits in the brain of a marsupial fat-tailed dunnart.

If you are interested in our science and would like to join our team, please contact Dr. Richards.


Our Team

Lab Members

The Richards lab is led by Professor Linda Richards. We are composed of individuals with different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs.

Dunnart

Current Research

Our studies focus on the development and function of interhemispheric connections in animals and people with altered brain wiring.

Brain Wiring

Volunteer for Research

If you or someone you know has lived experience with Corpus Callosum Dysgenesis, there are opportunities to volunteer for our research.

Announcements

April Regional Gathering

April Regional Gathering

Come join us at NODCC’s April Regional Gathering! Date: April 22, 2023 Time: 2-4 pm Venue: Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110 Any family, or individual, interested in attending can contact Lisa Mackenzie at: corpuscallosumresearch@wustl.edu
Newsletter Issue 2, Winter 2023

Newsletter Issue 2, Winter 2023

Fall has well and truly arrived in St. Louis, and as such, the first issue of the Brain Development and Disorders Lab newsletter is out! You can learn more about what is happening and what is coming up in the lab.
Newsletter Issue 1, Fall 2022

Newsletter Issue 1, Fall 2022

Fall has well and truly arrived in St. Louis, and as such, the first issue of the Brain Development and Disorders Lab newsletter is out! You can learn more about what is happening and what is coming up in the lab.

These posters are meant to show that racial justice and support for marginalized communities cannot be separated from the practice of science. We must actively work to recognize the obstacles that scientists (and potential scientists) from marginalized communities face, and dismantle structures of power that prevent them from succeeding. We must also consider the effects of our research and research choices on marginalized communities. To learn more, please click here.