Infant and Child Development Lab

Childhood research at Lancaster University: Growing Minds, Big Discoveries

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A baby with an EEG cap on playing with some toys

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Welcome to the Infant and Child Development Lab

Welcome to the Infant and Child Development Lab (ICDL), where we investigate how children grow, learn, and thrive, exploring topics like prenatal development, language acquisition from sounds and words to sentences and understanding others, hearing, cognitive development, social interactions, and the challenges of adolescence. Research on infants is done in the well-known Lancaster Babylab. We also invite older children to our lab on the Lancaster University campus for research on language, hearing, reading and many more besides. We also conduct work by visiting nurseries and schools in the local area – you might see information about our studies coming home in your children’s school bags!

Get involved!

We invite families—from expectant parents to those with children up to 14 years old—to join our research community. By signing up for our database, you’ll be notified when a study matches your child’s age and other relevant criteria. Most studies involve just one visit to Lancaster University and typically last less than an hour. We always provide clear information about what to expect.

Register for a study

Our testimonials

Lisa's daughter with a giant teddy in the ICDL

February 2025

"Where would we get anywhere without real-life studies? Great learning and it is really interesting to see how your children engage with people!"

Lisa, February 2025

A baby with an eeg cap on

August 2024

"Absolutely enjoyed our participation in the study today - though my daughter was a bit unsure on the headband (though she hates hats generally anyway)! Would love to take part in more future research. The team were super friendly and lovely."

Jemma, August 2024

A child in a ballpit

July 2024

"Massive thank you we thoroughly enjoyed our visits for the last 7 weeks!"

Lisa, July 2024

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