Beker Neurophysiology and Cognition Lab
About Us:
The Beker Lab is part of the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The Seaver Center is a fully integrated, translational research center that leads progressive studies and provides personalized care to individuals with autism and related rare disorders.
Our Goal:
We seek to identify and quantify physiological correlates of altered behaviors in individuals with developmental disorders, through the integration of EEG, behavioral assessments and measures from the body. In addition to elucidating our understanding of possible mechanisms, these non-invasive approaches hold promise to advance diagnostic biomarkers and the development of innovative targeted treatments for developmental disorders.
Current Projects
Dyad synchronization:
In this study, we measure if people with ASD are in-sync with other people. We measure body signals (heart rate, skin conductance) from two people simultaneously when they engage in social tasks, to evaluate the level of physiological synchronization between them.
inter-system synchronization:
Using EEG, measures from the body, and behavior, we test if people with ASD are in-sync with events in their environment. Our goal is to detect key features of altered information processing that involve multiple systems.
Computational Phenotyping:
We develop computational models and machine-learning approaches to uncover hidden patterns in neural data. These methods allow us to identify biologically grounded dimensions of neurodevelopmental disorders, reveal meaningful individual differences, and advance more precise approaches to diagnosis, stratification, and treatment development.
Biomarker study:
Here we test if children and adults with developmental disorders (e.g.: ASD, and rare disorders, e.g: PMS) have unique physiological signature, that can be easily measured, and that is stable over time.
