Saara Nolvi profile picture
Saara
Nolvi
Docent, Faculty of Social Sciences
Senior Research Fellow, Psychology
Ph.D (FT), adjunct professor (dos.)
Centre of Excellence for Learning Dynamics and Intervention (InterLearn); Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology; the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.

Contact

Kiinamyllynkatu 10
20520
Turku

Areas of expertise

prenatal stress
early life stress
postnatal stress
anxiety
temperament
fear reactivity
executive functioning
socioemotional development
cognitive development
structural equation modelling
milk cortisol
brain structure
amygdala
MRI
fMRI, DTI

Biography

Pronouns: she/hers

Teaching

Teacher education (60 ects); experience from teaching and lecturing from all age groups and educational levels

Taught courses currently:

PSYK3933 Developmental psychology I

PSYK4323 Master's thesis (Psychology)

Research

I am adjunct professor (developmental psychology) and psychologist by background. I currently work as senior researcher in the Academy-funded Centrel of Excellence for Learning Dynamics and Intervention (InterLearn) in the Department of Psychology and Speech-Languge Pathology. In addition, I work as a senior in the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. 

My research focuses on early life environmental effects on child self-regulation development and the neural and other biological mechanisms underlying these associations. I am also interested in the inter-individual differences in sensitivity to stress and environment, and how these differences in plasticity are shaped by the environment across development. In the InterLearn study, we are specifically interested in the longitudinal development of self-regulation and its relation to child mental health and academic functioning. We also aim to identify environmental factors that may buffer from or exacerbate the risk for academic and emotional difficulties. 

Publications

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Structural brain correlates of non-verbal cognitive ability in 5-year-old children: Findings from the FinnBrain birth cohort study (2023)

Human Brain Mapping
Pulli Elmo P, Nolvi Saara, Eskola Eeva, Nordenswan Elisabeth, Holmberg Eeva, Copeland Anni, Kumpulainen Venla, Silver Eero, Merisaari Harri, Saunavaara Jani, Parkkola Riitta, Lähdesmäki Tuire, Saukko Ekaterina, Kataja Eeva-Leena, Korja Riikka, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse, Tuulari Jetro J
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Feasibility of FreeSurfer Processing for T1-Weighted Brain Images of 5-Year-Olds: Semiautomated Protocol of FinnBrain Neuroimaging Lab (2022)

Frontiers in Neuroscience
Pulli Elmo P, Silver Eero, Kumpulainen Venla, Copeland Anni, Merisaari Harri, Saunavaara Jani, Parkkola Riitta, Lähdesmäki Tuire, Saukko Ekaterina, Nolvi Saara, Kataja Eeva-Leena, Korja Riikka, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse, Tuulari Jetro J
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))