Professor
Associate Division Head, Research
Dr. Collett is a principal investigator in the Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development (CCHBD) at Seattle Children's Research Institute. Dr. Collett’s research includes multiple longitudinal cohort studies that track development from infancy through early adulthood. These projects include clinical populations (e.g., children with craniofacial differences) and population-based samples to study the effects of prenatal and perinatal exposures on child development. Currently, Dr. Collett is working with teams in the United States, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Botswana to study the effects of prenatal infections and inflammation, environmental exposures, and perinatal illness on child development. He is particularly interested in mechanisms that might link these exposures to neurodevelopment, as well as factors (e.g., nutrition, cognitive stimulation) that could attenuate their effects. His team is also investigating novel strategies to promote healthy neurodevelopment in vulnerable populations. For example, they are testing the efficacy of an entirely remote caregiver-focused intervention to promote language development in toddlers with cleft palate. In another project, they are testing a multi-component intervention for pregnant women living with HIV and their babies in diverse African communities. A common theme across these studies is the engagement of parents and other caregivers as full partners in their children’s care and development.