We recently launched a new website for Preston Labs at the University of Texas, Austin — designed to support participant recruitment, showcase research, and welcome families, students, and collaborators alike.
Here’s a walkthrough of what’s new, with details about what matters most to website visitors, including families, students, and researchers.
Homepage: Immediate Credibility, Instant Access
The homepage leads with a clear positioning and clickable research highlights — everything from journal links to preprints — so visitors can dive straight into the lab’s work.
From the start, the homepage makes it clear what Preston Labs is about — cutting-edge memory and brain development research — with direct links to active studies and recent publications.
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Clickable highlights let researchers jump straight to journal articles and preprints.
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Prospective participants can quickly tell if this research is for them.
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A clean layout keeps it human-friendly, not academic-overload.
We also baked in a self-managed news + publications feed, so the lab can update content fast without touching code. UT credentials and social channels are pinned in the header and footer — a subtle but powerful trust signal for new visitors.
The recruitment funnel — built to convert
We often say, “The recruitment funnel is the real job of the website,” and Preston Labs is set up just like that. The Participants page spells out eligibility and routes people directly to REDCap eligibility forms.
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The redesigned Participants page makes enrollment easy, with:
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Two clear eligibility paths (adult and child studies)
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Upfront info on compensation and what to expect
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Direct links to REDCap screening surveys
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Personal contact info for follow-up questions
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A unique perk: participants get a take-home image of their own brain
This is a true conversion funnel with clear next steps for curious families or busy students.
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BRAIN WAVE — a dedicated youth longitudinal study
We helped create the Brain Wave brand and landing area on the site. BRAIN WAVE studies how memory and learning change across years of development, and the site explains why families might join and what to expect.
Key parent-friendly features:
- Plain-language descriptions of study length (multi-year) and visit frequency
- Overview of interactive activities for kids and personalized experiences
- Information about MRI procedures and what families receive
- Frequently asked questions to ease common concerns
- Clear call to action to sign up for BRAIN WAVE participation
Research: organized, deep, and accessible
The Research section is a core pillar. It’s organized into areas like:
- Medial temporal lobe and memory
- Memory integration and reasoning
- Concepts and categories
- Emotion, motivation, and memory interactions
- Memory development and computational approaches
Funders and supporters are credited prominently (National Institute of Mental Health, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, and others), which helps both transparency and grant visibility.
Publications: a valuable repository for the field
The Publications section is a searchable, well-organized library with preprints and papers from 2024 and 2023 and beyond. It’s a great resource for researchers studying memory and brain development.
Meet the team: people-first profiles
The People section showcases Principal Investigator Dr. Allison R. Preston, faculty collaborators, current graduate students, and fellows. Each profile includes contact info and downloadable CVs where available.
We also added an alumni/honorarium area listing former participants and contacts — a useful network resource for students and collaborators in the field.
News, kids page, and ongoing calls to action
The site keeps an active news feed for lab updates and publications. A dedicated kids page walks families through the BRAIN WAVE experience and links directly to recruitment surveys. The clear call to action everywhere is: sign up, participate, and learn more.
“The recruitment funnel is the real job of the website.”
Why this matters — for families, researchers, and the lab
For families: accessible explanations, clear expectations, and tangible benefits (compensation, take-home brain images) reduce friction in deciding to join a study.
For researchers and students: an organized publications library, research topic pages, and easy contact/CV access support collaboration and knowledge sharing.
For the lab: a maintainable site that’s easy to update, highlights funding, and presents a professional, welcoming front door to the world.
Where to go next
Ready to learn more or sign up? Visit the Preston Labs website at preston.clm.utexas.edu to explore publications, check eligibility, or join the BRAIN WAVE study.
Want a site like this?
We built this site for Preston Labs and are proud of the result. If your program needs a clear, recruit-focused, and beautiful website, get in touch — we’d love to help.
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