Kelly A. Vaughn

Kelly A. Vaughn, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Children's Learning Institute at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Her academic appointments and research activities are centered within this prominent research institute focused on child development and learning.

Dr. Vaughn's research interests span multiple interconnected domains in developmental cognitive neuroscience. She investigates the neural underpinnings of bilingual language development in children, examining how brain structure and function relate to language proficiency and use. Her work explores the relationship between language development and broader cognitive development in bilingual contexts. Dr. Vaughn also studies brain development in special populations, including toddlers born preterm and children who have experienced traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Vaughn's publication record reveals a strong focus on neuroimaging methodologies applied to developmental questions. Her work spans structural neuroimaging (examining cortical thickness), functional connectivity analyses, and methodological innovations for pediatric neuroimaging. She has made significant contributions to understanding how bilingualism shapes brain development and how interventions can impact neural outcomes in vulnerable populations.

• Fetal Infant Toddler Neuroimaging Group (FIT'NG)
• Flux Society
• Society for the Neurobiology of Language
• Cognitive Development Society
• Cognitive Neuroscience Society

Dr. Vaughn is actively involved in multiple funded research projects, demonstrating her ability to secure competitive grant funding. She serves as a co-investigator on an IES-funded project examining bilingual development interventions and participates in NIH-funded research on early intervention impacts. Her role as a leader in analyzing ABCD study data for bilingual development research highlights her expertise in large-scale developmental neuroscience projects. Dr. Vaughn collaborates extensively with established researchers in child development and neuroscience, including Susan Landry, Dana DeMaster, and Linda Ewing-Cobbs.

Dr. Vaughn's research program represents an important bridge between developmental neuroscience, language acquisition, and practical interventions for supporting children's development, particularly in bilingual contexts.