Bridge Lab: Brain and Behavior in Children with RASopathies

08/27/2025

BRIDGE Lab’s Julia Plank, PhD recently presented her poster, “Functional brain networks predictive of cognitive function in children with Noonan Syndrome” at the 2025 Summer Conference on The Changing Brain.

We’re proud of Julia for sharing this important work with the scientific community!

08/25/2025

Missed our recent BRIDGE Lab webinar on Managing Parent Burnout in Rare Genetic Populations? You can now watch it anytime: https://youtu.be/eQ7n3rPMXME

Featuring Dr. Philip Fisher and Dr. Alan Atkins, this session shares research insights and practical tools to support parents and caregivers of children with rare genetic conditions.

BRIDGE Lab hosted Dr. Philip Fisher and Dr. Alan Atkins for a webinar discussing current data and available tools to managing parent burnout, focusing on on ...

08/14/2025

If you haven’t already seen it, we have an on-demand webinar for parents and caregivers of kids with RASopathies focused on navigating the challenges and opportunities of adolescence.

Dr. Sara Pardej from BRIDGE Lab shares a brief presentation, followed by answers to questions about fostering independence, emotional well-being, and the transition to adulthood.

Watch anytime here:

This webinar is for parents and caregivers of children with RASopathies, focusing on the challenges and opportunities of adolescence. Dr. Sara Pardej, a post...

08/12/2025

Join Stanford Bridge Lab: Brain and Behavior in Children with RASopathies on Monday, August 19 from 1 to 2 p.m. for a free webinar, Managing Parent Burnout in Rare Genetic Populations.
In this informative and supportive session, attendees will explore current data on parental stress as it relates to household demographics and access to resources.
Click the link below to register:
https://bit.ly/47oP73Y

08/12/2025

Two weeks ago, members of the BRIDGE Lab had the privilege of attending the RASopathies Network Conference in Florida. This conference is a special gathering of families, clinicians, and researchers dedicated to advancing understanding and care for individuals with RASopathies.

We heard directly from families about their experiences, shared our own research updates, and connected with colleagues.

Thank you to RASopathies Network, the speakers, and all the families who welcomed us and shared their stories.

08/05/2025

Do you want to see your child's brain and gain further insights into your child's development?
Stanford University invites families with children ages 5-17, diagnosed with Noonan Syndrome to be part of the study.
Participate in this research and your child will receive a complimentary, in-depth neuropsychological evaluation. Plus, as a token of appreciation, receive an honorarium for contributing to the advancement of knowledge.
Check your eligibility by filling out this form: https://redcap.link/6dtgeu5z

08/04/2025

Parent Burnout for Children with Rare Genetic Disorders Webinar

Join BRIDGE Lab on Monday, August 19 at 1 PM PST / 4 PM EST for an informative and supportive session.

Dr. Fisher will present current data on parent stress in relation to household demographics, resource access, and more. Dr. Atkins will follow with practical tools parents can use to reduce burnout.

Please come with questions and curiosity—we’re looking forward to an open and straightforward discussion.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfV5GYx6NsqHE25gfwCOxfcojkhshA-0DN1quQxZnYcDfZwSQ/viewform

07/18/2025

BRIDGE Lab is conducting a new fully online study (via Zoom) exploring how teens with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) think, feel, and prepare for adulthood.

We’re looking for teens ages 12–17 with a confirmed genetic diagnosis of NF1 (via genetic testing) to participate. Participants will complete neuropsychological testing.

Families will receive a personalized report summarizing results plus, a $50 gift card as a thank you! Check your eligibility here: https://redcap.link/bridge_studies

07/14/2025

Please join us in welcoming our amazing summer interns to BRIDGE Lab!

We’re thrilled to have Tali, Catalina, and Annetta join the team. Each of them brings curiosity, enthusiasm, and fresh perspective to our work, and we’re excited to learn and grow together this summer.

07/01/2025

Dr. Sara Pardej and Dr. Julia Plank recently presented our research at the Children's Tumor Foundation conference in Washington, DC. Grateful for the opportunity to share our work and connect with others dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals with neurogenetic conditions.

06/10/2025

Last month, BRIDGE Lab’s very own Dr. Julia Plank presented her digital poster at the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii! 🧠🌈

Her presentation showcased exciting new findings using QT1 MRI to study white matter differences in children with RASopathies, including Noonan syndrome and neurofibromatosis type 1. This innovative technique could help us better understand brain development and support kids with neurodevelopmental conditions.

We’re so proud of Julia for sharing this work on an international stage and continuing to push the field forward!

06/10/2025

Check out the newest publication from BRIDGE Lab, congratulations to Dr. Julia Plank and her team.

Read the full article here or the summary below: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006322325011485

🧠 Myelin is a fatty substance that helps brain cells communicate and plays a key role in cognitive development. It might be possible to improve cognitive difficulties by targeting myelin, but we don’t yet fully understand how myelin is altered in children with neurodevelopmental conditions like Noonan syndrome and neurofibromatosis type 1.

📚In our study, we used an MRI scanning technique called quantitative T1 (QT1) to look at myelin in 49 children with RASopathies and compared them to 23 typical developing (TD) peers.

📈 We found evidence of increased myelin across 34 (87%) of the 39 white matter tracts in the RASopathies group compared to TD.

🔍We expect this result may be related to the altered development of specialized myelin-producing brain cells (oligodendrocytes) in RASopathies, as has been shown by animal research.

✅To our knowledge, this was the first study to apply QT1 to a cohort with RASopathies. Due to its short scan time (~3 minutes) and specificity, QT1 shows promise as a useful tool for improving understanding of the brain and exploring new ways to support brain development in children with neurodevelopmental conditions.