Carol Lee Wilkinson

Carol Lee Wilkinson, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Attending Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician, Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital

Research Focus

Translational biomarkers of language acquisition and early cognitive development in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Brief Research Description

The Wilkinson Lab’s research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms impairing language acquisition and cognitive development across a range of neurodevelopmental disorders associated with intellectual disability. Ongoing studies in the lab use electroencephalography (EEG) to identify biomarkers of language development in young children with Fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders. Biomarkers identified through these studies could be used as objective measures of language prognosis, treatment monitoring during clinical trials, and development of effective therapeutics. In addition, research projects focus on understanding biological and environmental factors that impact brain development during the first year of life. Ultimately, these research efforts aim to guide the development of effective therapies to improve developmental outcomes and functional independence for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Key Publications (PMCIDs)

Increased aperiodic gamma power in young boys with Fragile X Syndrome is associated with better language ability.
Wilkinson CL, Nelson CA.
Molecular Autism. 2021 12 (1):17. PMCID: PMC7908768

Use of longitudinal EEG measures in estimating language development in infants with and without familial risk for autism spectrum disorder.
Wilkinson CL, Gabard-Durnam LJ, Kapur K, Tager-Flusberg H, Levin AR, Nelson CA.
Neurobiology of Language. 2020 1(1):33-53; PMCID: PMC7351149

Longitudinal EEG power in the first postnatal year differentiates autism outcomes.
Gabard-Durnam LJ, Wilkinson CL, Kapur K, Tager-Flusberg H, Levin AR, Nelson CA.
Nature Communications. 2019 10(1):4188; PMCID: PMC6744476

Reduced frontal gamma power at 24 months is associated with better expressive language in toddlers at risk for autism.
Wilkinson CL, Levin AR, Gabard-Durnam LJ, Tager-Flusber H, Nelson C.
Autism Research 2019. 12(8):1211-1224; PMCID: PMC7771228

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