Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience
  • Home
  • Network
    • The Bernstein Network
    • Bernstein Centers
      • Berlin
      • Freiburg
      • Göttingen
      • Munich
      • Tübingen
      • Heidelberg-Mannheim
    • Research Infrastructure
      • High Performance Simulation and Data Analysis
      • Research Data Management
      • Science Communication
      • Scientific Coordination
    • Awards and Initiatives
      • Valentin Braitenberg Award
      • Brains for Brains Young Researcher Award
      • Bernstein SmartSteps
    • Committees
    • Statutes
    • Membership
    • History
    • Donation
    • Contact
  • Newsroom
    • Newsroom
    • News
    • Meet the Scientist
    • Events
    • Calls
    • Media Coverage
    • Press
    • Network Publications
    • Bernstein Bulletin
  • Teaching and Research
    • Teaching and Research
    • Find a Scientist
    • Degree Programs
      • Master Programs
      • PhD Programs
    • Study and Training
      • Bernstein Student Workshop Series 2023
      • Online Learning
      • Advanced Courses
      • Internships and Master theses
    • Mission Statement
  • Career
    • Career
    • Job Pool
    • Join our team
  • Bernstein Conference
    • Bernstein Conference
    • Program
      • Satellite Workshops
      • Valentin Braitenberg Award
      • Conference Dinner
    • Registration
    • Abstract Submission
    • Early Career Scientists
      • Postdoc Meeting
      • PhD Symposium
      • Travel grants
    • Exhibition
    • General Information
      • About the Bernstein Conference
      • Important dates & FAQ
      • PR Media Policy
      • Data Policy
      • Code of Conduct
  • DE
  • EN
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
You are here: Home1 / Newsroom2 / News3 / The PHENOMOBILE – Research with children for children
Göttingen – March 24, 2023

The PHENOMOBILE – Research with children for children

Innovative and unique worldwide: researchers from UMG and the University of Göttingen are developing a mobile examination laboratory for decoding early childhood development.

The PHENOMOBILE - the rolling research laboratory for children with children. Photo: umg/spförtner

Bernstein members involved: Florentin Wörgötter

How much do we know about early childhood? Capturing social skills, first vocalizations and movements of babies and analyzing the beginning of communication between child and mother is a sensitive undertaking. Not only is this scientifically important, but it may soon help to identify developmental disorders in time to offer early support. To achieve this, Göttingen scientists want to “get close” to mothers and their children – with the help of a novel “laboratory on wheels”, the “Phenomobile”. In doing so, they have developed a completely new and globally unique concept in developmental and interaction research.

The fully equipped rolling laboratory is an exact replica of the developmental laboratory in the Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UMG, so that the same investigations are possible in the Phenomobile. In addition to six cameras from different angles, recording equipment, and powerful computers, there is a dedicated air conditioning and heating system on board so that the lab can work year-round regardless of external conditions.

The rolling laboratory was designed by Prof. Dr. Dr. Peter Marschik, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). Together with Prof. Dr. Luise Poustka (UMG) and Prof. Dr. Florentin Wörgötter (University of Göttingen), he and his team are studying the development of healthy newborns and babies at increased risk for developmental disorders. “We know that it can be very time-consuming for parents with several young children to attend regular examination appointments, even if they would like to participate in a study. So if parents can’t come to our clinic, the lab drives right up to their front door,” says Prof. Luise Poustka, director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (KJP) at UMG. The goal of the long-term study is to gain a more precise understanding of typical early childhood development. “This will subsequently enable us to identify developmental disorders such as autism earlier and provide targeted support for children and their families,” says Prof. Marschik.

With the support of local companies, it has been possible to develop a customized prototype of the mobile lab for mobile use. The Phenomobile is part of a research network involving scientists from the University Medical Center and the University of Göttingen, the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, the Leibniz ScienceCampus “Primate Cognition” and the Collaborative Research Center “Cognition of Interaction” (SFB 1528). “While there are similar mobile concepts, e.g. in patient‘s care. However, the rolling laboratory for the examination of young children is a unique innovation,” says Luise Poustka. Peter Marschik says, “Only by examining babies at very close intervals from birth can we better understand very early development and identify developmental abnormalities. The Phenomobile is an important contribution, also because we can reach many more families from now on.”

“With the help of artificial intelligence, we can bring new methodological approaches to developmental science in the Phenomobile,” says Prof. Florentin Wörgötter from the III Institute of Physics at the University of Göttingen, who supervised the technical development of the Phenomobile. “Thus, this project and the collaboration of the participating institutions is exemplary for the lived interdisciplinary cooperation at the Göttingen Campus.” The ‘rolling laboratory’ is being used in several research projects in Göttingen and the region and benefits from long-standing support from the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Volkswagen Foundation, the Leibniz Association and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). “The concept is a model for the future that can also serve as an example for other projects,” say the researchers involved.

Translated from German by Alexander Lammers/Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience.

Further links

Original press release (German only)

> more

The PHENOMOBILE – Research with children for children

28. March 2023/in /by Alexander Lammers

Kontakt Aktuelles

Contact

Prof. Dr. Dr. Peter Marschik

University Medical Center Göttingen
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Von Siebold-Straße 5
37075 Göttingen
Germany

+49 551/39-65723
peter.marschik@med.uni-goettingen.de

Prof. Dr. Luise Poustka

University Medical Center Göttingen
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Von Siebold-Straße 5
37075 Göttingen
Germany

+49 551/39-65723
luise.poustka@med.uni-goettingen.de

Prof. Dr. Florentin Wörgötter

Georg-August University Göttingen
Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics
Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1
37077 Göttingen
Germany

+49 551/39-26922
florentin.woergoetter@phys.uni-goettingen.de

Bernstein Netzwerk Computational Neuroscience Logo

Become a member
Statutes
Donation
Subscribe to Newsletter

 

Follow us on

Mastodon
© 2023 Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience
  • Contact
  • Imprint
  • Privacy Policy
Scroll to top
Cookie-Zustimmung verwalten
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional Always active
Der Zugriff oder die technische Speicherung ist unbedingt für den rechtmäßigen Zweck erforderlich, um die Nutzung eines bestimmten Dienstes zu ermöglichen, der vom Abonnenten oder Nutzer ausdrücklich angefordert wurde, oder für den alleinigen Zweck der Übertragung einer Nachricht über ein elektronisches Kommunikationsnetz.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff, der ausschließlich zu statistischen Zwecken erfolgt. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff ist erforderlich, um Nutzerprofile zu erstellen, um Werbung zu versenden oder um den Nutzer auf einer Website oder über mehrere Websites hinweg zu ähnlichen Marketingzwecken zu verfolgen.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Settings
{title} {title} {title}