Welcome to the Child Life and Child Development Research Lab (CLCD) Lab!  Dr. Burns-Nader's CLCD lab examines child development and issues related to children and families experiencing healthcare events.  Undergraduate and graduate students work alongside Dr. Burns-Nader to gain research experience and opportunities for presenting at local, state, and national conferences and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.  Examples of research topics include the daily experiences and coping of parents of newly diagnosed cancer patients, how the appearance of toys influence children's play, and the benefits of tablet distraction provided by a child life specialist.  The lab collaborates with researchers at Children's of Alabama, University Medical Center Pediatric Department, and the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. To learn more about this lab, review the web page and/or email Dr. Burns-Nader below.

News for the CLCD Lab


  • Recent alums of the lab, Amber Wesoloski, Gracie Avery, Anna Schmitz, and Emily Goldstein, had their research published in Children's Health Care.
  • Anna Schmitz (alum of the CLCD lab), Dr. Burns-Nader, Dr. Blake Berryhill (HDFS faculty member), and Dr. Julie Parker received the 2022 Association of Child Life Professionals' Professional Research of the Year Award.
  • Emily Goldstein (alum of the CLCD lab) received the 2022 Association of Child Life Professionals' Student  Research of the Year Award.
  • Dr. Burns-Nader received the 2021 URCA Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award
  • In March of 2021, Research Methods for Child Life Specialists by Daniels, Burns-Nader, & Boles (Eds.) was released.
  • Check out Dr. Burns-Nader's latest research.
  • Recent graduate of the CLCD lab, Anna Schmitz, had a paper summarizing her thesis published in the Journal of Child Life.
  • Undergraduate (Shannon Anderson, Amber Wesoloski) and graduate (Emily Goldstein) students in the lab published a recent study in JOSHUA.

External Collaborators

Dr. Jessika Boles
Dr. Jessika Boles, PhD, CCLS- Assistant Professor of Practice at Vanderbilt University
Picture
Dr. Sarah Daniels, PhD, CCLS- Child Life Research Specialist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Current Research Projects

The Experiences of Child Life Specialists as first time internship preceptors

This study is examining the experiences of child life specialists during their recent experiences as precepting a child life intern.
Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Pediatric Patients undergoing an Injection
In this study, Dr. Burns-Nader and colleague, Beth Smith are examining the effectiveness of a virtual reality device in reducing pain and distress in children (4 to 12) who are receiving an injection.
The Relationship of Parental Anxiety and Hospitalized Children's Anxiety in Kenya
This study will examine the relationship between parents' satisfaction and coping with hospitalization and the hospitalized children's anxiety in Kenya.

Recent Thesis Projects

Handling facility dogs with pediatric patients:  An exploration from a child life perspective
Emily Goldstein

In this case study, Emily explores the use of child life specialist as facility dog handlers and their perceived benefits and difficulties of serving as a handler.



Pictures from the Lab