UWM BraIN Laboratory

Welcome to the Brain Imaging and Neuropsychology (BraIN) Laboratory at UW-Milwaukee! Dr. Krista Lisdahl is a Professor of Psychological Brain Sciences and the Principal Investigator and Director of the BraIN Lab. The BraIN Lab was formed to research the effects of health behaviors, such as substance use and physical activity, on child and adolescent brain development and mental health trajectories. We are one of the 21 sites in The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study consortium, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. Our research group studies multiple factors that influence child and adolescent development including family and peer relationships, physical environment, individual differences, and biology. We are especially interested in factors that influence substance use behaviors and problems, and understanding how regular substance use (such as alcohol and cannabis) impact adolescent neurodevelopment, and determining the underlying mechanisms explaining these changes. We use high quality scientific methods such as neuropsychological testing, biological collection, geocoded environmental neighborhood information, cognitive testing and brain scanning. We consider all of these factors to create a whole picture of adolescent development. Our lab’s core values include fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment that encourages student development and conducting ethical, evidence-based science which impacts health policy, education, and healthcare. Our overall goal is to provide scientific evidence that will improve child, adolescent, and young adult health and well-being. 

NOTE: 2027-2028 Academic year Graduate Student Recruitment: Dr. Lisdahl will not be recruiting a graduate student this round; however, Dr. Alexander Wallace (https://profiles.ucsd.edu/alexander.wallace) will be joining the UWM Psychological & Brain Sciences Department Winter 2027 and WILL be recruiting a clinical psychology doctoral gradaute student. Dr. Wallace formerly trained in the UWM BraIN Lab and has since been an Assistant Professor at UCSD, working closely with the ABCD Study UCSD site and consortium coordinating and data centers. He currently serves as the Co-Chair of the ABCD Study Substance Use Assessment workgroup. His research focuses on the effects of substance use on adolescent and young adult neurodevelopment including neuropsychological, clinical, and neuroanatomical outcomes. Dr. Wallace has recently received a K08 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to research the moderating role of caffeine on adolescent neurodevelopment. His laboratory will collaborate closely with Dr. Lisdahl's BraIN Laboratory and graduate students will cross-train on the ABCD Study. See "Members" tab for more information.