Pilyoung Kim

Associate Professor of Psychology

Pilyoung Kim is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department. She is also Director of the Family and Child Neuroscience (FCN) Laboratory (https://liberalarts.du.edu/psychology/family-child-neuroscience) and Co-director of the Brain, Artificial Intelligence, and Child (BAIC) Center (https://www.baic.center/).

Along with a team of student researchers and research assistants in the FCN lab, Pilyoung works to investigate the role of early experience on brain development. Current research projects supported by the NIH and other agencies focus on studying whether the experience of poverty and exposure to cannabis during pregnancy influence fetal/infant brain development. They also study whether those factors also influence new mothers’ transition to parenthood. The research methods include MRI, fMRI, fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy), neuroendocrine markers, observations of parent–child interactions, and structured clinical interviews. In the BAIC center, she and student researchers aim to understand the role and applications of AI in terms of supporting a child’s development, particularly their brain development.

In these research projects, Dr. Kim provides mentoring, research training, and a learning environment that stimulates and supports the future goals of students. In addition, Dr. Kim teaches courses on brain development and the neurobiological and psychological basis of parent–child relationships. She also frequently gives talks to community organizations that serve new families experiencing higher levels of stress (e.g., Women, Infant, Children (WIC) programs, child-care programs, and school teachers) as well as national and international academic communities. In her research, teaching, and service, Dr. Kim focuses on discovering and sharing research evidence to develop innovative ways to support the well-being of two generations: new parents and their young children.