My research aims at articulating different data modalities ( cerebral, genetic, behavioral and environmental) using statistical tools derived from applied mathematics (network analysis, structural equation modeling, machine learning) to better characterize cognitive development and learning.

I am particularly interested in the early factors that may play a role in neurocognitive development.

My ultimate goal is to apply the knowledge and models developed during my thesis and postdoctoral work to advance research on prematurity. I aim to collaborate with neonatology and neonatal intensive care units to identify multilevel markers of prematurity and its consequences on cerebral and cognitive development. This will enable us to predict the developmental profile of each child and propose personalized care as early as possible. Through my work, I hope to contribute to reducing the academic difficulties faced by these children.

Postdoctoral project (2023-2024)

During my postdoctoral position at NYU Langone in Moriah Thomason's lab, I investigated the impact of prenatal chronic inflammation (measured by placental histopathology) and preterm birth on neurocognitive development. I am specifically studying fetal resting-state functional connectivity and executive functions in offspring.

Associated publications [selection]:

Menu, I., Ji, L., Bhatia, T., Duffy, M., Hendrix, C. & Thomason, M. (2024). Beyond average outcomes: A latent profile analysis of diverse developmental trajectories in preterm and early term‐born children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Child Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14143 [covered in Health News, see vignette]

Menu, I., Ji, L., Trentacosta, C., Jacques, S., Qureshi, F. & Thomason, M. (2024). Prenatal chronic inflammation and children’s executive function development. Child Neuropsychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2024.2434215

Menu, I., Duffy, M., Bhatia, T., Trapaga, S., John, J., Music, S., Nicholas, D., Wheless, H. & Thomason, M. (in prep.). Preterm birth’s impact on cool and hot executive functions development in the ABCD cohort. Pre-registration : https://osf.io/q7um5

Other related publications:

Ji, L., Menu, I., Majbri, A., Bhatia, T., Trentacosta, C. & Thomason, M. (2024). Trajectories of human brain functional connectome maturation across the birth transition. PLoS Biology, 22(11), e3002909. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002909

Not Born Equal: Preemie Babies Fall Into 3 Risk CategoriesWEDNESDAY, Aug. 14, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Not all babies born prematurely will suffer long-term developmental problems, a new study finds.Preemies tend to fa

PhD project (2019-2022)

The goal of my thesis project was to articulate different modalities (cerebral, genetic, behavioral and environmental) in order to better characterize the development and learning of executive functions and especially inhibitory control.

Access to my PhD manuscript here.

Associated publications:

Menu, I., Borst, G.*, & Cachia, A. *(2024). Latent Network Analysis of Executive Functions Across Development. Journal of Cognition, 7(1), 31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/joc.355

Menu, I., Rezende, G., Le Stanc, L., Borst, G.* & Cachia, A.* (2022). A network analysis of executive functions before and after computerized cognitive training in children and adolescents. Scientific Reports, 12, 14660. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17695-x

Menu, I., Rezende, G., Le Stanc, L., Borst, G.* & Cachia, A.* (2022). Effects of inhibitory control training on executive functions of children and adolescents: a latent change score model approach. Cognitive development, 64, 101231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101231

Other related publications:

Maximino-Pinheiro, M., Menu, I., Boissin, E., Brunet, L.-A., Barone, C. & Borst, G. (2024). Metacognition as a mediator of the relation between family SES and language and mathematical abilities in preschoolers. Scientific Reports, 14, 10392. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-60972-0

Omont, S.*, Menu, I.*, Salvia, E., Poirel, N., Oppenheim, C., Houdé, O., Cachia, A.* & Borst, G.* (2023). Lateralization of the cerebral network of inhibition in children before and after cognitive training. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101293

Rezende, G., Le Stanc, L., Menu, I., Cassotti, M., Aïte, A., Salvia, E., Houdé, O., Borst, G. & Cachia, A. (2023). Differential effects of mindfulness meditation and cognitive training on cool and hot inhibitory control in children and adolescents. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 235, 105741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105741

Header image: Jasper Johns