Psychophysiology and Behavioral Systems Lab

Led by Sara Jane Webb, PhD, the Psychophysiology and Behavioral Systems (PBS) Lab is dedicated to furthering research efforts into the etiology, course and treatment of developmental disabilities.

Through research into early development, neural processes, phenotyping and endophenotyping and clinical applications, PBS Labs aims to make a difference for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

PBS Labs counts on our families! Whether you are an individual with a developmental disability or not, you can join us in making a difference by participating in one of our research studies!

Explore Our Research

At PBS Labs we conduct research in a number of different areas specifically targeted to investigate the etiology, course, and treatment of developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Behaviors and Executive Skills in T21 (BEST21)

The BUDDY Lab is conducting a study to understand the role of problem-solving in challenging behaviors for children with Down syndrome aged 6 to 14 years old. Children will complete 1 in-person visit that will include problem-solving games and a research EEG. Caregivers will complete some questionnaires about their child.

To participate, contact [email protected].

Learn More About This Study

STRIPES: Study of Research Interests, Priorities, and Experiences

Our research team would like to learn more about the needs and priorities of individuals and families affected by genetic conditions. The information we learn may help us understand what research topics are most valuable to families and most likely to be helpful in the future. Participation involves filling out an online survey that asks your opinions and priorities for studies related to genetic conditions.

Join the Study

Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT)

The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT) is a multicenter research study based at Yale that spans Duke University, Boston Children’s Hospital, the University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. The aim of the consortium is to develop reliable and objective measurements of social function and communication in autistic people.

To participate, contact Kleinhans lab.

BEAM Study

The Murray Lab is looking for autistic and non-autistic participants aged 18-30 for the Brain Engagement Attention and Modeling (BEAM) study exploring how the brain’s visual system processes motion.

Participants will complete online structured interviews and around 6 sessions of computer, behavioral, EEG and MRI experiments involving visual stimuli on UW campus. If you are interested in participating, please email [email protected] or call 206-221-2147.

L16hthouse

The L16HTHOUSE study is a Phase 2 clinical trial of arbaclofen in children with 16p11.2 deletion syndrome, a genetic condition associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental challenges. The study aims to examine the safety, tolerability and efficacy of arbaclofen in improving speech, social function, cognition and motor skills in this population. Recruitment closed.

Lab News

October 23, 2024 INSAR 2025 – Seattle
2025 annual meeting for the International Society for Autism Research will be held in Seattle, WA from Wednesday, April 30 – Saturday May 3, 2025 at the Washington State Convention Center.

Meet Our Team

Sara Jane Webb, PhD

Dr. Webb is a developmental cognitive neuroscientist at Seattle Children’s Research Institute in the Center for Child Health Behavior and Development. The mission of her lab is to conduct state-of-the-art research into the etiology, course, and treatment of developmental disabilities in an academic training environment. Her research focuses on functional brain development in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders, as well as in individuals with typical development. She uses EEG, event-related potentials (ERPs), eye-tracking, functional magnetic resonance imaging, cardio physiology, and behavioral measures to study how children encode, store, and retrieve social information and how these processes are impacted by developmental disruptions. Her research themes include:

Early risk markers and protective factors for autism and neurodevelopmental disorders
Attention, perceptual, cognitive, and social abilities in neurodiverse females
Methodological development of EEG biomarkers
Clinical trial neuromarkers to understand why therapeutics may (or may not) be successful.

With more than 25 years of research funding, PBS lab projects have been sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Autism Speaks, Autism Science Foundation, Cure Autism Now, Korean Foundation, National Alliance for Autism Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative & Clinical Research Associates and University of Washington.

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Vardan Arutiunian

Fellow PhD

Dr. Vardan Arutiunian received his Ph.D. in Linguistics at the Center for Language and Brain, HSE University (Moscow, Russia) in the field of language and communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He completed his training in neuroimaging at MEG Center in Sam Camillo Hospital (Venice, Italy). Dr. Arutiunian’s current studies combine genetic, neuroimaging, and behavioral approaches to understand the biological basis of language in autistic individuals and their first-degree relatives. His studies also address the biomarkers of language impairments in ASD and the presence of these biomarkers in clinical trials. Furthermore, his research aims to identify the early neural markers of language impairments in infants at risk for developing ASD and to reveal the validity of these neural markers to predict short- and long-term language outcome in children who will later be diagnosed with ASD.
Heather Borland

Research Scientist III

Heather received her B.S in Physics from US Santa Cruz and M.S in Physics from San Fransisco State University where she worked in observational astronomy using doppler spectroscopy for exoplanet detection. Her focus later shifted to neuroscience with work on EEG hardware solutions, experiment design and acquisition protocol design. In 2015, she joined the PBS lab as a research scientist working primarily on the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT) to standardize EEG acquisition and training across multiple, diverse sites, implement analytic pipelines, and improve throughput through database development and integration.
Sarah Corrigan, MA

Psychometrist

Sarah Corrigan, Clinical Research Coordinator – Lead and Licensed Counselor. She received her BA in Psychology and MA in Experimental Psychology from Florida Atlantic University. Her undergraduate and graduate studies focused on social, personality, and developmental psychology. After graduating, Sarah worked as a case manager and educator for children with disabilities in early intervention for 6 years. Sarah joined Seattle Children’s in 2011 to focus on pediatric research, in particular Autism Spectrum Disorder work. Sarah’s favorite part of the WONDER study is being able to play and interact with babies and toddlers.
Navya Eedula

Data Manager

Navya is a Data Scientist master’s student at UW, working part-time as a Data Manager on the L16hthouse study, where she manages data protocols and assist with assessments for neurodevelopmental research. I am passionate about psychology, data-driven solutions and making a positive impact on people’s lives. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, dancing and spending time with friends!
Jesse Miles

Fellow PhD

Jesse Miles is a postdoctoral researcher in the PBS lab at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the GRID lab at the University of Washington. Jesse got his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Washington studying the neurophysiological and behavioral links between learning, memory, and decision-making. Prior to his graduate work, Jesse studied distributed cortical and neuromodulatory control of sensory processing at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and the relationship between spontaneous neural activity and cell-type development in the biology department at UW. Jesse’s current work uses intracranial EEG, direct electrical stimulation, and structural neuroimaging data to understand how brain rhythms and affect regulation circuitry change throughout development.
Emily Elizabeth Neuhaus, PhD

Assistant Professor

Dr. Emily Neuhaus is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Dr. Neuhaus has a broad research focus on social-emotional processes in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or inherited or de novo genetic events. Dr. Neuhaus’s research is informed by a number of methodological approaches, including clinical/behavioral assessment and physiological measures such as EEG and autonomic biomarkers. Dr. Neuhaus is particularly interested in how social and emotional processes relate to brain function and development, and in how they interact with one another to influence diagnostic outcomes (e.g., phenotypes within autism) and psychiatric trajectories over the course of development.
Morgan Opdahl

Fellow

Morgan is a SURFiN (Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience) fellow studying Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Washington. He is interested in utilizing neuroimaging techniques to improve the quality of care than people facing a variety of disorders receive. These interests intersect nicely with his work in the PBS Lab, where he’s begun developing foundational research skills to prepare him for graduate studies in Clinical Psychology.
Hannah Meryl Rea, PhD

Acting Assistant Professor

Dr. Rea received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Georgia and completed her clinical training at UC Davis MIND Institute and CAARE Center. Her research and clinical work focus on improving service delivery for individuals with developmental disabilities. In her free time, she enjoys training for triathlons, skiing, and cooking.
Megha Santhosh

Supervisor, Clinical Research

Megha received her B.S in Biology from University of Washington in 2015 and her Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Colorado State University System in 2020. As an undergraduate, she worked in the UW sleep lab studying prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in children with Juvenile idiopathic arthritis and at the Seattle cancer care alliance working on various clinical trials as a clinical research assistant. She joined the Webb lab in 2015 as a research coordinator, and has worked on the Mechanisms of face recognition study, Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT) and the first phase of GENDAAR study. Currently, she works on the second phase of GENDAAR study.