Birmingham Babylab

Birmingham Babylab

@bbabylab.bsky.social

We are a research group within the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. We study infants' and toddlers’ cognitive development. Web: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/babylab

197 followers19 following29 posts

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

We recently hosted our first ever BabyLab Retreat! 🎉✨ It featured a keynote talk by Andy Bagshaw [about neuromechanisms of sleep, epilepsy and attention in adults], followed by a series of wonderful talks from lab members about latest infant research 🧠 Here are some highlights from the experience.

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

Congratulations to Dr Alice Cousins on her PhD graduation 🎓 🎉 Many thanks to the babies 👶💛, families, and her supervisors (Prof Andy Bremner, Dr Roger Newport, and Prof Dani Ropar) who supported this research journey. We wish Alice all the best for what's next!

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

A massive thank you to everyone who attended our BabyLab Session at the Exchange 💜 💜 We had a great time chatting with you and your little ones. Special thanks to the BabyLab team and the Exchange team for all their hard work. Don't worry if you missed us this time, we’re back in October 🌟

Birmingham Babylab reposted

Barbara Pomiechowska
@bpomie.bsky.social

Hi #CogSci2026 folks! Anyone into #compositionality #geometry and/or babies' minds? Karthika, an amazing PhD student from the lab is presenting some cool preliminary results. We use geometry as a case study for compositionality and program induction in babies. Do stop by her (virtual) flash talk!

Karthika Kamath@karthikakamath.bsky.social

Can babies understand different geometrical shapes?👶🏼Join my Flash talk 41.1 at #cogsci2026 to find more on July 24th,17:30(Rio) @bpomie.bsky.social @mathiassablemeyer.bsky.social @sarahruthbeck.bsky.social @paulm-k.bsky.social @cogscisociety.bsky.social @bbabylab.bsky.social @thechbh.bsky.social

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

Photographed is Thomas presenting his very first results at the IECB in India and Rachel & Jieyi presenting their research at the LCICD in Lancaster - congrats to you all and thanks to all the families who make our research possible!

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

This week the Babylab celebrated a very special event: our very own Alice Cousins defended her PhD thesis and completed her PhD. We couldn’t be prouder. Warmest congratulations Dr Cousins! 🩷 🎉

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

Come along this Saturday with your little ones of all ages to celebrate 125 years of education and research at the University of Birmingham! We'll be in the Little Learners Zone in the Great Hall with the Barber Institute providing fun child & parent activities and talks 😊

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Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

Other activities available: 🧺 Bring a picnic and relax in our beautiful grounds 🏀 Take part in sports activities 🔬 Discover more about our research and how it impacts you 💡 Learn more about the history of this University Please bring plenty of water and prepare for lovely weather 😎

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

Come along this Saturday with your little ones of all ages to celebrate 125 years of education and research at the University of Birmingham! We'll be in the Little Learners Zone in the Great Hall with the Barber Institute providing fun child & parent activities and talks 😊

View full thread
Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

⭐ Raising children who understand others, Dr Rory Devine Find out how children learn to understand thoughts, feelings and perspectives — and how we can help them grow into caring, thoughtful people.

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Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

On the day: 🟩 10:00-10:30 arrivals & meet the BabyLab researchers 🟩 10:30-11:30 research talks for parents and babies by our guest speakers, followed by a Q&A session with the researchers: 🟩 11:30-12:00 chat with the researchers & departures

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

Our first guests will be: ⭐ Learning to imagine, Prof. Sarah Beck Even toddlers can escape reality! Discover how babies start to pretend, play, and imagine — and why it's a crucial part of learning and development.

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

Come along to enjoy fascinating talks by guest researchers from the University of Birmingham while little ones play, feed or snooze. Experts will share insights on topics from child development to health, and society and will be available for informal chats with parents and babies.

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

An exciting PhD opportunity at our lab. Apply by 21st May.

Barbara Pomiechowska@bpomie.bsky.social

We're looking for a PhD student interested in developing brains and developing new methods to study them! Anna Kowalczyk and myself have a fully funded PhD position to advance OPM-MEG methods for infant and neonatal brain imaging. 👉 Please repost to help us spread the word 🙏 More info & links 👇

Birmingham Babylab reposted

Barbara Pomiechowska
@bpomie.bsky.social

Still a couple of days to apply for this fantastic job (DEADLINE: 2nd March 2025). Join us to do amazing neuroscience in one the most collegial lab ever. We study brains at all ages!

Katja Kornysheva@katjakornysheva.bsky.social

Final call to UK and international candidates (Closing date: 2nd March 2025)! Join us as Full Professor in Human/Cognitive/Translational Neuroscience with the opportunity to step in as (Co-)Director at the @thechbh.bsky.social 👇 edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

✨ New paper in @openmindjournal.bsky.social ✨ If you're curious to find out *how* babies and young children understand *helping*, have a look at this new paper from our lab (by @bpomie.bsky.social and collaborators) 👇

Laura Schlingloff-Nemecz@laurasn.bsky.social

New paper in Open Mind! What does it mean to help? What is the goal of a helping action? We wanted to probe infants' & preschoolers' helping concept - specifically, whether they think helpers reduce others' action costs. direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...

Birmingham Babylab reposted

Barbara Pomiechowska
@bpomie.bsky.social

*How* do babies and young kids understand helping? Do they get that helping may involve intervening on someone else’s action costs by making it less costly (or easier) for them to achieve their goals? This is was a fun project with *lots of surprising results*. Grateful to have been part of it 👇

Laura Schlingloff-Nemecz@laurasn.bsky.social

New paper in Open Mind! What does it mean to help? What is the goal of a helping action? We wanted to probe infants' & preschoolers' helping concept - specifically, whether they think helpers reduce others' action costs. direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...

Birmingham Babylab reposted

Eugenio Parise
@eugenioparise.bsky.social

Finally out! A new paper on categorisation in preverbal infants, together with wonderful @bpomie.bsky.social, Szilvia Takács and Ágnes Volein. Have a look: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

royalsocietypublishing.orgThe nature of label-induced categories: preverbal infants represent surface features and category symbols | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological SciencesHumans categorize objects not only based on perceptual features (e.g. red, rounded), but also function (e.g. used to transport people). Category membership can be communicated via labelling (e.g. ‘app...

Birmingham Babylab reposted

ManyBabies
@manybabies.org

🚨Publication Alert!🚨 The ManyBabies4 paper is out! 37 labs around the world tested over 1,000 babies in the largest investigation of infants' social evaluation to date. doi.org/10.1111/desc...

doi.orgInfants’ Social Evaluation of Helpers and Hinderers: A Large‐Scale, Multi‐Lab, Coordinated Replication StudyEvaluating whether someone's behavior is praiseworthy or blameworthy is a fundamental human trait. A seminal study by Hamlin and colleagues in 2007 suggested that the ability to form social evaluatio...
Birmingham Babylab
@bbabylab.bsky.social

We're thrilled to attend the Inaugural Lecture of our very own Professor Andrew Bremner! Please join us to find out 'What it is like being a baby'. Babies and parents very welcome 😊 📅Weds 27 November, 4-6pm 📍Aston Webb, Lecture Theatre WG5, Univesity of Birmingham Details: tinyurl.com/5bkyhtu8

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