About the Lab
The Mulkey Lab is a clinical research team committed to studying the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of children following prenatal and perinatal exposures in a global context. We are dedicated to supporting children and families with challenging diagnoses and illnesses in the perinatal period and beyond by performing rigorous cutting-edge research that improves our understanding of the impact of early exposures on the developing brain and how best to support children as they grow and develop.
Research
Our research focuses on the impact of congenital and perinatal infectious exposures on the developing brain and how it can affect the placenta, brain structure and function and neurodevelopmental outcomes throughout childhood. Our research also encompasses other exposures including neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and incorporates community, home and environmental exposures into our understanding of risk and resilience. We have active studies examining neurodevelopmental and clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2, Zika and Lyme disease exposures during pregnancy. We use methods such as behavioral and cognitive measures, advanced neuroimaging, placental analysis and qualitative interviews to assess the impacts of early-in-life exposures on child neurodevelopment.
Mentorship
Sarah Mulkey, MD, PhD, a prenatal-neonatal neurologist, is a globally recognized expert in congenital infections and neurodevelopmental outcomes research. Dr. Mulkey is passionate about providing mentorship and career development opportunities to students, researchers and healthcare professionals interested in the intersection of prenatal-neonatal neurology, infectious disease, global health and child neurodevelopment.
The Mulkey Lab has been privileged to have many students, research coordinators, research assistants, research fellows, residents and fetal-neonatal neurology fellows contribute to our studies over the years. If you are interested in opportunities to get involved in the lab, please email sbmulkey@childrensnational.org.
Collaboration
We collaborate with many other investigators and institutions in the United States and beyond. Our current external collaborators include:
- Carlos Cure, MD, endocrinologist and medical director at BIOMELAB, Barranquilla, Colombia
- Colleen Peyton, PT, DPT, MSCI, associate professor at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- David Schwartz, MD, MS Hyg, FCAP, placental pathologist at Perinatal Pathology Consulting, Atlanta, Georgia
- Michael Msall, MD, professor of pediatrics and neurodevelopmental disabilities, co-director of the Kennedy Research Center on Intellectual Disabilities at University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Raul Tarud Sabbag, MD, director of clinical research at Sabbag Radiólogos, Barranquilla, Colombia
- G. Larry Maxwell, MD, president of women’s services, Inova Health System
- Gianluca Ursini, MD, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, Maryland
- Stanley Naides, MD, FACP, FACR, medical science liaison and discipline director, Rheumatology/Autoimmune/Immunology at Labcorp
- Robin Baker, MD, division chief neonatology, Inova Women and Children’s Hospital, Fairfax Neonatal Associates, Fairfax, VA
If you'd like to collaborate, please contact us!
Connection
Our research focuses on children and families from many different communities, backgrounds, and life experiences. Our research is carefully designed to maximize benefits to participants and engage children and families in a fun, positive way.
Learn more:
- Pediatric research with impact: connecting families to developmental resources
- Feasibility and success of a non-sedated brain MRI training protocol in 7-year-old children from rural and semi-rural Colombia
- Promoting a Positive Relationship Between Physicians and Patients with Lyme Disease During Pregnancy and Parenthood