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Department of Psychology

My research focuses on identifying infant markers of childhood outcomes and mapping neurodevelopmental trajectories in diverse populations. I am particularly interested in supporting the implementation of neurodevelopmental research into global contexts.  

I am currently working on the Brain Imaging for Global Health (BRIGHT) project, a prospective longitudinal study of child development, from the antenatal period to preschool age, in a rural area of The Gambia. Our goal is to map the neurodevelopmental pathways of children in this setting and to gain insight into the impact of undernutrition and poverty-related factors on development. As part of my work on this study, I am exploring how psychosocial factors, such as the caregiving environment and maternal wellbeing, contribute to cognitive development in this context. 

Prior to my work on BRIGHT, I completed my PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. My PhD was done as part of the British Autism Study of Infant Siblings (BASIS), which is focused on identifying infant markers of autism among children with a family history. My focus was to examine the development and correlates of co-occurring anxiety at school-age, within this population. 

Publications

Key publications: 

 

Katus, L., Milosavljevic, B., Rozhko, M., McCann, S., Mason, L., Mbye, E., Touray, E., Moore, S.E., Elwell, C.E., Lloyd-Fox, S., de Haan, M., & The BRIGHT Study Team. Neural marker of habituation at 5 months of age associated with deferred imitation performance at 12 months: A longitudinal study in the UK and The Gambia. Children, 9(7), 988. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9070988

McCann, S., Mbye, E., Touray, E., Ceesay, M., Acolatse, L., Milosavljevic, B., Mason, L., Johnson, W., Okot, P., Colley, A., Janneh, A., Lloyd-Fox, S., Elwell, C., Moore, S. (2021). Iron status in early infancy is associated with attentional flexibility and cognitive achievement in rural Gambia. Current Developments in Nutrition, 5(2), 666. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab045_048

Godoy, P. B. G., Shephard, E., Milosavljevic, B., Johnson, M. H., & Charman, T. (2020). Brief report: Associations between cognitive control processes and traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety in children at elevated and typical familial likelihood for ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2020, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10803-020-04732-9

Shephard, E., Milosavljevic, B., Mason, L., Elsabbagh, M., Tye, C., Gliga, T., Jones, E. J., Charman, T., Johnson, M. H., Baron-Cohen, S., Bedford, R., Bolton, P., Chandler, S., Fernandes, J., Garwood, H., Hudry, K., Pasco, G., Pickles, A., Tucker, L., & Volein, A. (2020). Neural and behavioural indices of face processing in siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): A longitudinal study from infancy to mid-childhood. Cortex127, 162–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CORTEX.2020.02.008

Katus, L., Mason, L., Milosavljevic, B., McCann, S., Rozhko, M., Moore, S. E., Elwell, C. E., Lloyd-Fox, S., de Haan, M., Drammeh, S., Mbye, E., Touray, E., Ceesay, M., Jobarteh, B., Darboe, M. K., Austin, T., & Prentice, A. (2020). ERP markers are associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in 1–5 month old infants in rural Africa and the UK. NeuroImage210, 116591. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.NEUROIMAGE.2020.116591

Milosavljevic, B., Vellekoop, P., Maris, H., Halliday, D., Drammeh, S., Sanyang, L., Darboe, M. K., Elwell, C., Moore, S. E., & Lloyd‐Fox, S. (2019). Adaptation of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning for use among infants aged 5‐ to 24‐months in rural Gambia. Developmental Science22(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12808

Salomone, E., Shephard, E., Milosavljevic, B., Johnson, M. H., Charman, T., & BASIS Team. (2018). Adaptive Behaviour and Cognitive Skills: Stability and Change from 7 Months to 7 Years in Siblings at High Familial Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders48(9), 2901–2911. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3554-5

Shephard, E., Bedford, R., Milosavljevic, B., Gliga, T., Jones, E. J. H., Pickles, A., Johnson, M. H., Charman, T., & BASIS Team. (2018). Early developmental pathways to childhood symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatryhttps://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12947

Milosavljevic, B., Shephard, E., Happé, F. G., Johnson, M. H., Charman, T., & BASIS Team. (2017). Anxiety and Attentional Bias to Threat in Children at Increased Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders47(12), 3714–3727. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-3012-1

Shephard, E., Milosavljevic, B., Pasco, G., Jones, E. J. H., Gliga, T., Happé, F. G., Johnson, M. H., Charman, T., & BASIS Team. (2017). Mid-childhood outcomes of infant siblings at familial high-risk of autism spectrum disorder. Autism Research10(3), 546–557. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1733

Milosavljevic, B., Carter Leno, V., Simonoff, E., Baird, G., Pickles, A., Jones, C. R. G., Erskine, C., Charman, T., & Happé, F. G. (2016). Alexithymia in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Its relationship to internalising difficulties, sensory modulation and social cognition. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders46(4), 1354–1367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2670-8

Zebrowitz, L. A., Franklin, R. G., Boshyan, J., Luevano, V., Agrigoroaei, S., Milosavljevic, B., & Lachman, M. E. (2014). Older and younger adults’ accuracy in discerning health and competence in older and younger faces. Psychology and Aging29(3), 454–468. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036255

Percac-Lima, S., Milosavljevic, B., Oo, S. A., Marable, D., & Bond, B. (2012). Patient navigation to improve breast cancer screening in Bosnian refugees and immigrants. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health14(4), 727–730. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9539-5

Research Associate
Classifications: 
Not available for consultancy