Iliana is a psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist interested in the functional and structural reorganization of the brain during development. She uses pediatric neuroimaging techniques to investigate visual and audiovisual processes that underlie reading acquisition and how these differ in specific learning disorders, such as dyslexia. In addition, to examine the genetic contribution of sex chromosomes on brain networks of learning, she studies children with sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA), a group of genetic disorders that are often affected by mathematical and reading disabilities. She aims to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex differences in learning disabilities and psychiatric disorders that emerge during childhood and adolescence.

One of her current projects focuses on understanding the effects of sex steroids on reward processing during puberty. In collaboration with the Hong Lab at Stanford University, she examines effects of gender-affirming hormones on neurodevelopment in transgender youth. Understanding the role of sex hormones in brain mechanisms of reward in transgender youth and their cisgender peers may provide crucial knowledge regarding treatment and prevention of depression in teenagers. The goal of this research is to increase our understanding of transgender health, promote well-being in sexual and gender minority youth, and enable the integration of evidence about sex differences into clinical practice of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Iliana Karipidis’ project is supported in part by a 2021 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.

Keywords: pediatric neuroimaging, reading acquisition, specific learning disorders, gender identity, sex differences

Publications