Preterm birth & early development
Studying gestational age, neonatal morbidities, cognitive and motor profiles, and variation in outcomes among children born preterm.
Samson Nivins, PhD · Karolinska Institutet
Exploring the developing brain.
I study how early-life exposures, brain development, genetics, and experience shape neurodevelopmental vulnerability and resilience—from the neonatal period through adolescence.
Postdoctoral Researcher · Developmental Neuroscience · Stockholm, Sweden
Karolinska InstitutetPostdoctoral Researcher
About me
Research with a focus on early life.
I am a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Ulrika Åden’s group at Karolinska Institutet. My research combines neonatal and childhood MRI, longitudinal developmental assessments, genetic epidemiology, and population-based cohorts to understand why children with similar early-life risks can follow very different developmental trajectories. My work spans extreme prematurity, neonatal hypoglycaemia, maternal cardiometabolic exposures, ADHD, autism, and digital media.
Research areas
A connected research programme.
From neonatal brain health to ADHD, autism, and opportunities for earlier intervention.
Developmental neuroimaging
Investigating cortical folding, brain networks, neonatal hypoglycaemia, and MRI markers linked to later development.
Digital media & mental health
Examining digital media activities, genetic susceptibility, ADHD symptoms, and brain development in longitudinal cohorts.
Maternal health & genetic risk
Exploring prenatal cardiometabolic exposures, genetic liability, and their associations with offspring brain structure, ADHD, and autism-related outcomes.
ADHD & autism heterogeneity
Investigating developmental pathways, brain imaging phenotypes, and why neurodevelopmental outcomes vary among children with similar early-life risks.
Physiological regulation & resilience
Developing research on neonatal physiological trajectories, early brain markers, and potentially modifiable influences such as skin-to-skin contact.
Featured studies
Selected research highlights.
Selected findings spanning digital media, preterm birth, and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Digital media, genetics, and ADHD symptoms
A longitudinal study examining digital media use, genetic factors, and ADHD symptom risk in children.
Find publication ↗Cortical folding in extremely preterm children
Investigating associations between cortical folding and cognitive outcomes in mid-childhood.
Find publication ↗Gestational age and cognitive development
Population-based research on how gestational age relates to cognitive development in childhood.
Find publication ↗Interventions & early support
From risk identification to better support.
Research on interventions, modifiable exposures, and developmentally informed approaches to early support.
Strength-based intervention after extremely preterm birth
I contributed to a randomized controlled trial evaluating a strength-based intervention for children born extremely preterm. At the assessed follow-up, the trial did not demonstrate improved neurodevelopmental outcomes compared with the control group. This informs how interventions should be evaluated and refined.
Skin-to-skin contact & physiological maturation
My proposed research examines neonatal physiological regulation and skin-to-skin contact as a potentially modifiable influence on maturation. The aim is to investigate associations with early brain development and later neurodevelopment—not to assume a proven intervention effect.
ADHD risk identification & targeted support
My research investigates genetic, prenatal, and environmental factors associated with ADHD-related outcomes. These findings may help inform earlier identification and future targeted support strategies; they do not establish the effectiveness of a specific ADHD intervention.
Contributions to science
Research across five themes.
Key areas described in my research statement, connecting methods and questions across developmental stages.
Neonatal hypoglycaemia & later brain development
MRI studies examining neonatal hypoglycaemia, deep grey-matter differences, and later neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Preterm birth & developmental heterogeneity
Registry and cohort research on gestational age, cognitive outcomes, brain networks, and neonatal morbidity.
Maternal cardiometabolic risk, ASD & ADHD
Studies of maternal diabetes, hypertension, BMI, brain structure, and offspring neurodevelopment.
Digital media, brain development & inattention
Longitudinal analyses distinguishing social media, television, and gaming; associations should not be interpreted as proof of causation.
Brain metabolism & corpus callosum development
Exploratory PET and MRI work examining regional metabolic and structural patterns in children with autism.
Research perspective
From early markers to meaningful outcomes.
My work brings together neonatal neuroimaging, developmental neuroscience, genetics, and epidemiology to identify early markers and potentially modifiable pathways.
- Perinatal factors: maternal health, gestational age, and neonatal exposures.
- Brain measures: MRI markers of structure and development.
- Long-term outcomes: cognition, motor function, attention, and mental health.
Background & engagement
Across disciplines and research settings.
My academic path has included research in perinatal neurology, neuroimaging, genetic epidemiology, cognitive neuroscience, and child development. Alongside research, I contribute to supervision, teaching, editorial and peer-review activities, and public communication.
I have also contributed to a European Commission scientific perspective on minors’ health and social media, and participated in international scientific and policy discussions.
Explore EU policy publication ↗2025 – present
Postdoctoral Researcher · Karolinska Institutet
2022 – 2024
Postdoctoral research · Karolinska Institutet
2022
PhD · University of Auckland
2015
Master's studies · Karolinska Institutet / VIT University
Selected publications
Recent work.
Selected peer-reviewed work. Publication links open scholarly searches; a full public bibliography is available below.
Digital Media, Genetics, and Risk for ADHD Symptoms in Children: A Longitudinal Study
Nivins, Mooney, Nigg & Klingberg
Find article ↗Disrupted cortical folding and cognitive outcomes in extremely preterm children at mid-childhood
Nivins, Padilla, Kvanta, Mårtensson & Ådén
Find article ↗Gestational Age and Cognitive Development in Childhood
Nivins, Padilla, Kvanta & Ådén
Find article ↗Long-term impact of digital media on brain development in children
Nivins, Sauce, Liebherr, Judd & Klingberg
Find article ↗Neurodevelopment after a strength-based intervention in children born extremely preterm: a randomised controlled trial
Hallin Provenzano and colleagues, including Nivins
Find article ↗Press & media
Research beyond the journal.
Interviews, research coverage, and public-facing science communication on the developing brain, preterm birth, digital media, and ADHD.
Why teens with ADHD are so vulnerable to the perils of social media
Interview for an article by Elie Dolgin discussing social media and ADHD; research cited in Nature.
Read Nature article ↗Social media, not gaming, tied to rising attention problems in teens
Public-facing analysis co-authored with Torkel Klingberg about longitudinal findings in children.
Read article ↗Screen time, social media and attention in children
Swedish press coverage discussing differences between digital activities and links with ADHD-related symptoms.
Read SvD coverage ↗Children's screen use and “brain rot”
Interview on digital media use and the developing brain.
Read interview ↗Preterm birth and childhood cognitive development
Research interview discussing prematurity and later cognitive challenges.
Read interview ↗Disruptors of fetal brain development
Podcast discussion on prenatal factors and developing brains.
Listen to podcast ↗For press enquiries or invitations to discuss research, please use the contact details below.
Connect
Let's talk science.
Open to research collaborations, academic exchange, and science communication opportunities.
Karolinska Institutet · Stockholm, Sweden
Academic email: samson.nivins@ki.se
Alternative email: samson.nivins@gmail.com