Alan Leviton's research is focused on identifying the factors associated with white matter damage in very premature infants and the effects of such damage later in childhood. He is a principal investigator of the 14-center ELGAN (Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns) study of 1,500 infants born before the 28th week of gestation.

The ELGAN investigators seek to identify changes that occur before the brain ultrasound abnormalities that predict motor, cognitive, perceptual, and behavior dysfunctions in these children. Much of this prospective epidemiologic study relies on biomarkers measured in placenta, umbilical cord, and blood. Each of the proteins assessed has a role in inflammation, which is linked to oligodendrocyte damage and/or dysfunction or processes that ameliorate damage/dysfunction.

By identifying biomarkers that indicate increased risk of cerebral damage, the ELGAN study should enable researchers to better design clinical trials of measures to reduce the occurrence of early brain damage and later developmental disabilities.