Announcing the BEAM Study!

Brains, Experiences, and Mental Health

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Dr. Lana Ruvolo Grasser Winters aka "Dr. Ruvvy", Naga Alyamani & Ujala Janjua
July 16, 2025

We are so excited to announce that the Ruvvy Resilience Lab’s first brain imaging study has been approved! 🎉

Wait . . . what do you mean ‘approved’? 🤔

Before conducting research, we have to tell a special review board called the ‘IRB’ about:

  • Our research goals

  • How we are going to conduct the research

  • How we will interact with participants and keep their data safe

  • The questions we plan to ask participants

The IRB is composed of not only scientists, but also community members who help ensure that our science is safe and fair for everyone. After the IRB deems a study to be ethical and safe, they grant approval for the research study to begin.

Now that the BEAM study is approved, we can start welcoming youth and their families to the lab at Wayne State University to help us learn more about our brains and our big emotions!

What is the BEAM study about? 💡

This study aims to understand how positive and negative experiences influence brain function and emotions, like fear and anxiety, in youth.

This research could help improve the prediction, detection, and treatment of mental health issues in the future. Participation is entirely voluntary.  

Here are some pictures of Dr. Ruvvy’s brain from when she participated in a brain imaging study at Wayne State! 

Are you interested in participating in our research? 

The Ruvvy Resilience Lab at Wayne State University invites you to help shape the science of resilience by joining the Brains, Emotions, and Mental Health (BEAM) Study. Kids and teens between the ages of 7-17 are eligible to participate with caregiver permission.  

If you/your child are eligible, you and your child will be invited to complete two in-person visits at Wayne State University for interviews and brain scans. Each visit will take approximately 2-3 hours. You and your child could earn up to $100 for your participation. Your child will also receive a 3D print of their brain! 

If you are interested in participating, please contact the study team at [email protected] or call/text 313-380-1777.  

 

The Greenhouse of the Mind:

Resources to Help You Bloom

Free Parent-Child program to support socioemotional learning!
Join Dearborn Public Health & Emagine Health Services at Hemlock Park (Mondays) or Ford Woods Park (Wednesdays) from July 14 – Aug 13, 6–7PM.
Attend 4 out of 5 sessions to be entered for a chance to win raffle prizes!

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