Dr. Emma Duerden, PhD
Assistant Professor - Applied Psychology
BA, Psychology (McGill University); MSc, Neuroscience (McGill University); PhD, Neuroscience (University of Montreal)
Dr. Emma Duerden, PhD
Assistant Professor - Applied Psychology
BA, Psychology (McGill University); MSc, Neuroscience (McGill University); PhD, Neuroscience (University of Montreal)
I’m an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education and a supervisor for graduate students in the School and Applied Child Psychology program. My research program focuses on the impact of early adversity on cognitive ability in infants and school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder or who are born very preterm. The goal of my research program is to identify risk factors for early adversity as well as factors that promote resilience to early life stress, healthy brain development and academic achievement in children.
In The News
Western News “Five receive Frontiers research funding” May 2019
Healio “Early nutritional intake related to brain growth in preterm neonates” Bruce Thiel February 2018
SickKids Newsroom “Research co-led by SickKids shows premature babies may be more susceptible to effects of pain from lifesaving care, harming brain development” Jane Kitchen, January 2018
Neuroscience News “Altered Brain Development and Cognitive Ability in Preterm Babies” David Barnstone December 2017
EurakaAlert (AAAS): Altered brain development, cognitive abilities in preemies December 2017
Contemporary Pediatrics “Midazolam warning for preemies” Ilya Petrou, MD September 1, 2016
Neurology Advisor “Midazolam Exposure May Impair Hippocampal Growth in Preemies” Shannon Aymes, MD January 18 th, 2016
Science Daily “Zen Meditation: Thicker brains fend off pain” February 2010
Science Daily “Phantoms In The Brain: Pain After Amputation” March 2008
Recent Publications
Urbain C, Sato J, Hammill C, Duerden EG, Taylor, MJ. Converging function, structure and behavioural features of emotion regulation in preterm children. Human Brain Mapping. 2019 Aug 1;40(11):3385-3397. doi: 10.1002/hbm.24604. Epub 2019 May 6. PMID: 31056820
Duerden EG, Halani S, Ng K, Guo T, Foong J, Glass T, Chau V, Branson HB, Sled JG, Whyte HE, Kelly E, Miller SP. White matter injury predicts disrupted functional connectivity and microstructure in very preterm born neonates. NeuroImage: Clinical 2019 Nov 13. pii: S2213-1582(18)30344-9. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.11.006. PMID: 30458986
Guo T, Chau V, Peyvandi S, Latal B, McQuillen PS, Knirsch W, Synnes A, Feldmann M, Naef N, Chakravarty MM, De Petrillo A, Duerden EG, Barkovich J, Miller SP. White Matter Injury in Term Neonates with Congenital Heart Diseases: Topology & Comparison with Preterm Newborns. NeuroImage 2018. Jun 15. pii: S1053-8119(18)30511-1. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.06.004. PMID: 29890324
Glass TJA, Chau V, Grunau RE, Synnes A, Guo T, Duerden EG, Foong J, Poskitt KJ, Miller SP. Multiple post-natal infections in preterm newborns predicts delayed maturation of motor pathways and poorer motor outcomes at 3 years. Journal of Pediatrics 2018 May196:91-97. pii: S0022-3476(17)31736-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.12.041. PMID: 29398063
Guo T, Chau V, Peyvandi S, Latal B, McQuillen PS, Knirsch W, Synnes A, Feldmann M, Naef N, Chakravarty MM, De Petrillo A, Duerden EG, Barkovich J, Miller SP. White Matter Injury in Term Neonates with Congenital Heart Diseases: Topology & Comparison with Preterm Newborns. NeuroImage 2018. Jun 15. pii: S1053-8119(18)30511-1. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.06.004. PMID: 29890324
Duerden EG, Grunau RE, Guo T, Chau V, Synnes A, Miller SP. Early procedural pain is associated with regionally-specific alterations in thalamic development in preterm neonates. Journal of Neuroscience 2018 Jan 24;38(4):878-886. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0867-17.2017. PMID: 29255007
Schneider J, Duerden EG, Guo T, Ng K, Hagmann P, Graz MB, Grunau RE, Chakravarty MM, Huppi P, Truttmann A, Miller SP. Procedural pain and oral glucose in neonates: brain development and sex-specific effects. Pain. 2018 Mar;159(3):515-525. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001123. PMID: 29200180
Schneider J, Beauport L, Duerden EG, Guo T, Foong J, Bickle Graz M, Hagmann P, Chakravarty MM, Huppi P, Fischer Fumeaux CJ, Miller SP, Truttmann A. Nutrient intake in the first 2 weeks of life predicts brain macro- and microstructural growth in preterm neonates. Pediatrics 2018 pii: e20172169. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-2169. PMID:29940205
Wagenaar N, Chau V, Groenendaal F, Kersbergen KJ, Poskitt KJ, Grunau RE, Synnes A, Duerden EG, Linda de Vries L, Miller SP, Benders, MJNL. Clinical Risk Factors for Punctate White Matter Lesions on Early MRI in Preterm Infants from Two Different Centers. Journal of Pediatrics 2017 Mar;182:34-40.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.11.073. PMID: 28063691
Podrebarac SK, Duerden EG, Chau V Grunau RE, Synnes A, Oberlander TF, Miller SP. Antenatal exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitors is associated with white matter alterations in preterm neonates. Neuroscience (Special Issue on Early Adversity) 2017 Feb 7;342:252-262. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.11.025. PMID: 27890829
Guo T, Duerden EG, Adams E, Chakravarty MM, Grunau RE, Synnes A, Miller SP. Quantitative mapping of white matter injury in very preterm born neonates: relation to developmental outcome at 18-months. Neurology 2017 Feb 14;88(7):614-622. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003606. PMID:28070727
Duerden EG, Lee M, Chow S, Sato J, Mak-Fan K, Taylor MJ. Functional neural correlates of reward processing in typical and atypical development. Child Neurology Open 2016 Sep 15;3:2329048X16667350. doi: 10.1177/2329048X16667350. PMID: 28503615
Birca A, Vakorin VA, Madathil S, Chau V, Miller SP, Doesburg SM, Seed M, Blaser S, Nita DA, Duerden EG, Hickey EJ, Hahn CD. Structural-functional correlates of brain development in newborns with congenital heart disease. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology 2016 Aug 14;3(9):708-22. PMID: 27648460
Bhagwat N, Pipitone J, Winterburn JL, Guo T, Duerden EG, Voineskos AN, Lepage M, Miller SP, Pruessner JC, Chakravarty MM. Improving MR image segmentation accuracy by combining label-fusion methods with neighborhood information using localized Markov Random Field model. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2016 Jul 19;10:325 PMID: 27486386
Duerden EG, Dodbiba L, Guo J, Chau V, Poskitt J, Grunau RE, Synnes A, Miller SP. Midazolam dose correlates with abnormal hippocampal growth and neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants. Annals of Neurology, Jan 2016. Apr;79(4):548-59. doi: 10.1002/ana.24601 PMID: 26754148
Duerden, EG, Messina, R, Rocca, MA, Filippi, M, Duncan, GH (2016). fMRI of pain. In Neuromethods (Vol. 119, pp. 495-521). (Neuromethods; Vol. 119). Humana Press Inc. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-5611-1_16
Guo T, Winterburn J, Pipetone J, Duerden EG, Chau V, Poskitt K, Grunau RE, Synnes A, Miller SP, Chakravarty MM. Automatic Segmentation of the Hippocampus for Preterm Neonates from Early-in-Life to Term-Equivalent Age. NeuroImage: Clinical 2015 Aug 24;9:176-93. PMID: 26740912
Duerden EG, Foong J, Chau V, Branson H, Poskitt K, Synnes A, Grunau RE, Zwicker J, Miller SP. Tract-based spatial statistics in preterm-born neonates predicts cognitive and motor outcomes at 18 months. American Journal of Neuroradiology April 2015 Aug;36(8):1565-71. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A4312. PMID: 25929880
Duerden EG, Taylor MJ, Lee M, McGrath PA, Davis KD, Roberts SW. Decreased sensitivity to thermal stimuli in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Relation to symptomatology and cognitive ability. Journal of Pain 2015 May;16(5):463-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2015.02.001 PMID: 25704841
Cheng I, Miller SP, Duerden EG, Sun K, Branson HM, Chau V, Adams E, Poskitt KJ, Basu A. Stochastic Process for White Matter Injury Detection in Preterm Neonates. NeuroImage: Clinical 2015 Feb 26;7:622-30. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.02.015. PMID: 25844316
Stiver ML, Kamino D, Guo T, Miller SP, Thompson A, Duerden EG, Taylor MJ, Tam EWY. Maternal postsecondary education associated with improved cerebellar growth after preterm birth. Journal of Child Neurology Oct;30(12):1633-9. doi: 10.1177/0883073815576790 2015. PMID: 25818328
Oh A, Duerden EG, Pang E. The role of the insula in speech and language processing. Brain and Language 2014 Aug;135:96-103 PMID: 25016092
Duerden EG, Brown-Lum M, Chau V, Poskitt K, Synnes A, Grunau R, Miller SP. Resuscitation intensity at birth is associated with changes in brain metabolic development in preterm neonates. Neuroradiology 2013 Sep;55 Suppl 2:47-54. PMID: 23921419
Duerden EG, Taylor MJ, Miller SP. Brain development in infants born preterm: looking beyond injury. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology 2013 June;20(2)65-74. PMID: 23948681
Duerden EG, Card D, Lax ID, Donner EJ, Taylor MJ. Alterations in frontostriatal pathways in children born very preterm. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 2013 Oct;55(10):952-8. PMID: 23859594
Duerden EG, Card D, Roberts SW, Mak-Fan KM, Chakravarty MM, Lerch JP, Taylor MJ. Self-injurious behaviours are associated with alterations in the somatosensory system in children with autism spectrum disorders. Brain Structure and Function 2013 Jul;219(4):1251-61. PMID: 23644587
Duerden EG, Arsalidou M, Lee M, Taylor MJ. Lateralization of affective processing in the insula. NeuroImage 2013 Sep;78:159-75 PMID: 23587690.
Lax ID, Duerden EG, Lin SY, Chakravarty MM, Donner EJ, Lerch JP, Taylor MJ. Neuroanatomical consequences of very preterm birth in middle childhood. Brain Structure and Function 2013 Mar;218(2):575-85. PMID: 22572806
Grant, JG, Duerden EG, Duncan GH, Rainville P. Cortical thickness, mental absorption and meditative practice: possible implications for disorders of attention. Biological Psychology. 2013 Feb;92(2):275-81 PMID: 23046904.
Duerden EG, Taylor MJ, Soorya L, Wang T, Fan J. Anagnostou E. Neural correlates of response inhibition of socially relevant stimuli in adults with autism spectrum disorders. Brain Research 2013 Oct 2;1533:80-90. PMID: 23962468
Duerden EG, Albanese M. –C. Localization of pain-related brain activation: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging data. Human Brain Mapping 2013 Jan;34(1):109-49. doi: 10.1002/hbm.21416. PMID: 22131304
Doyle-Thomas KAR, Duerden EG, Taylor MJ, Soorya L, Wang T, Fan J, Anagnostou E. Effects of age and symptomatology on cortical thickness in autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 2013 Jan;7(1):141-150. PMID: 23678367.
Duerden EG, Szatmari P, Roberts SW. Towards a better understanding of self-injurious behaviors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2012 Nov;42(11):2515-8. PMID: 22798052.
Doyle-Thomas KAR, Kushki, A, Duerden EG, Taylor MJ, Soorya L, Wang T, Fan J, Anagnostou E. The effect of diagnosis, age and symptom severity on cortical surface area in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Neurology, 2013 Jun;28(6):732-9. PMID: 22832774
Arsalidou M, Duerden EG, Taylor MJ. The centre of the brain: Topographical model of the basal ganglia. Human Brain Mapping 2013 Nov;34(11):3031-54. PMID: 22711692
Teaching and Supervision
2019 – Psychosocial aspects of schooling (MA, School Psych, Year 1/PhD, AP, Year 2) Course number: 9801A-001
2019 – Mind, Brain and Education (PhD, School Psych, Year 1) Course number: 9802A-001
2020 – Advance Quantitative Research Methods (MA, School Psych, Year 1) Course number: 97052A-001
