The Hong Lab’s

PANDa study

PuberTy and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence

How do hormones affect the pre-teen brain?

To bring their bodies in alignment with their gender identity, transgender youth often pause “typical” puberty to undergo cross-sex hormone therapy. By examining the effects of this hormone therapy on the brain and disease risk throughout adolescence, this study will help improve treatment and outcomes for transgender youth. Moreover, studying transgender youth will also provide insight into the role of sex hormones in cisgender (non-trans) development and their impact on the development of certain psychiatric disorders.

Who Are We

Located within the Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research (CIBSR) at Stanford Medicine, the Hong Lab primarily focuses on the intersection of hormones and neurogenetics. The majority of our experience centers around genetic disorders that affect the structural development of the brain in prepubertal children, such as Turner syndrome (TS) and Klinefelter syndrome (KS). We operate with the overarching goal to further understand how differences in the human genome change neural development, which will help elucidate the different roles of our genome in the developing brain.

For More information about CIBSR, Visit our website by clicking the button Below

What We Do

Our primary focus is on the intersection of hormones and neurogenetics. Our work has revolved around Turner syndrome (TS) and Klinefelter syndrome (KS) and their effects on the structural development of the brain. Studying genetic disorders gives us the ability to explore the interactions between genes, hormones, behavior, and brain development, and how these interactions might vary between populations with different genetic profiles.

Let's get in touch

Have questions or want more information? Fill out the adjacent form to get in touch with us and learn more about the Hong Lab, our team, our research, and the Panda Study!