Mulkey Laboratory
About the Lab
The mission of the Mulkey Laboratory is to support the healthy neurodevelopment of children across the globe through high-quality, family-centered research. The lab is led by Sarah Mulkey, MD, PhD, a prenatal-neonatal neurologist and globally recognized expert in congenital infections, early brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcomes research.
We use qualitative and quantitative research methodology, brain imaging and placental pathology to learn about the effects of early exposures on infant and child brain neurodevelopment. We are dedicated to supporting children and their families as they navigate challenging diagnoses and illnesses in the perinatal period and beyond.
We work directly with children and their families to understand their research priorities and create lasting impact through and beyond school age.
We strive to improve recruitment, evaluation, and assessment techniques and to understand the ways that community, home, and other factors may impact child development.
We also work to mentor and inspire the next generation of pediatric clinical investigators.
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Lab Focus Areas
Neonatal brain injury
Global health
Zika virus
Intellectual and developmental disabilities
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Contact
Sarah Mulkey, MD, PhD Principal Investigator sbmulkey@childrensnational.org
Featured News
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New Paper Offers Evidence of Perinatal Transmission of Lyme Bacteria, Calls for Interim Clinical Guidance
Evidence of perinatal transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi — the spirochete that causes Lyme disease — exists but has not been adequately recognized and acted upon with the longitudinal prospective trials needed to more rigorously evaluate and define the potential impacts of in utero exposure, an international group of Lyme disease experts has written in a recent Frontiers in Medicine paper.
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School entry neurodevelopmental outcomes of Zika-exposed Colombian children
The long-term neurodevelopmental effects of antenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure in children without congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) remain unclear, as few children have been followed to the age of starting primary school.
Featured Publications
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Promoting a positive relationship between physicians and patients with Lyme disease during pregnancy and parenthood
Hickman ET, Williams ME, DeBiasi RL, & Mulkey SB Pathogens 15(4), 419 2026 -
School-age child neurodevelopment following antenatal Zika virus exposure
Mulkey SB, Andringa-Seed R, Corn E, Williams ME, Arroyave-Wessel M, Podolsky RH, Peyton C, Msall ME, Cure C, Berl MM. PMID: 40108430 Pediatr Res 2025 -
Shifting outlooks after neonatal encephalopathy in the era of therapeutic hypothermia
Christoffel K, Mulkey SB PMID: 40467976 Pediatr Res 98(7) 2025 -
Accounting for social and environmental drivers of neurodevelopment: Lessons from a pilot study in a pediatric Colombian cohort
Andringa-Seed R, Calderon Suarez L, Corn E, Gordish-Dressman H, Williams ME, Reyes P, Peyton C, Berl MM, Arroyave-Wessel M, Msall ME, Cure C, & Mulkey SB Pediatr Res 2025 -
Pediatric research with impact: Connecting families to developmental resources
Iglesias, M, McCausland DS, Jackle L, Tierney M, Harkness J, Baker R, Ursini G, Mulkey SB Pediatric Research 98 2025
