Center on the Developing Child - RSS Feed

Changing the Focus: Building the Capabilities of Home-Based Child Care Providers

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 15:47:57 -0400

This Innovation in Action interview is the first in a series of portraits planned by the Center that will highlight the innovative, collaborative work occurring in the Frontiers of Innovation community. In this multimedia feature story, FOI member Jessica Sager, the co-founder and executive director of the non-profit organization All Our Kin, discusses its work in New Haven and Bridgeport, Conn., building the capabilities of women in low-income communities who provide care in their homes for infants and toddlers. FOI member Kia Levey, project director for the New Haven Mental Health Outreach for Mothers (MOMS) Partnership—a collaboration of agencies across the city that includes All Our Kin—also discusses the significance of focusing on adults in order to help children facing adversity.

Shonkoff Interview Highlights "New Science Behind Early Education"

Sun, 30 Mar 2014 15:44:35 -0400

In a recent interview with a Boston public radio station, Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff describes why the early stages of development matter for children’s future health and educational success. Calling for innovations in policy and practice to help close the learning (and health) gap, Shonkoff highlights the need to build the capabilities of children’s adult caregivers.

LECTURE VIDEO: Beth Babcock, M.C.R.P., Ph.D. - "Science Reshaping Poverty"

Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:39:59 -0500

On November 16, 2013, Crittenton Women’s Union CEO Beth Babcock, M.C.R.P., Ph.D., spoke at TEDxBeaconStreet about taking a science-informed approach to breaking the cycle of poverty. Her talk explains how poverty impairs the development of executive function in the brain, and she shares the success of new coaching models that allow clients to practice and rebuild their executive function skills.

FEATURE ARTICLE: Pushing Toward Breakthroughs: Using Innovative Practice to Address Toxic Stress

Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:40:01 -0500

A new article in the multi-part series entitled, “Tackling Toxic Stress” is now available on the Center's web site. This final installment describes how a small but growing group of forward-thinking social service practitioners are using the expanding scientific evidence about the long-term, damaging effects of toxic stress to try innovative approaches that target its root causes and could lead to breakthroughs in the effectiveness of interventions—for both children and their caregivers.

INTERACTIVE FEATURE: Driving Science-Based Innovation in Policy and Practice: A Logic Model

Tue, 10 Dec 2013 15:40:03 -0500

A new, narrated interactive feature presents a logic model showing how policies and programs that strengthen specific kinds of caregiver and community capacities can build the foundations of healthy development. These support beneficial biological adaptations in the brain and other organ systems, which lead to positive outcomes in health and development across the lifespan.

Education Nation Presentation Available for Viewing

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 16:40:16 -0400

Philip A. Fisher, Ph.D., a Senior Fellow at the Center on the Developing Child and a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, recently presented at NBC News' Education Nation Summit in New York City. His talk, "Parenting for Brain Development and Prosperity," explains why positive, reciprocal interactions between caregivers and children can have enormous positive effects on children’s development and lay the groundwork for a prosperous future.

Two New Feature Articles in "Tackling Toxic Stress" Series

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:27:04 -0400

Two new articles in the multi-part series entitled, “Tackling Toxic Stress” are now available on the Center's web site.

Innovating in Early Head Start: Can Reducing Toxic Stress Improve Outcomes for Young Children?
How can families in the most difficult circumstances be supported to give children the best chance to succeed? Federal administrators of the Early Head Start program for young children and families think addressing the sources of toxic stress could be part of the answer.

Using Science to Drive New Approaches to Child Welfare
The federal Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), is seizing on the science of early childhood development to help states integrate social and emotional well-being into child welfare's longstanding emphasis on ensuring safety and permanent placements for children who may be experiencing abuse or neglect. Two sidebar articles also describe Washington state's focus on prevention and the effort to improve foster care in Illinois.

New InBrief: The Science of Neglect

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:25:25 -0400

Extensive biological and developmental research shows significant neglect—the ongoing disruption or significant absence of caregiver responsiveness—can cause more harm to a young child’s development than overt physical abuse, including subsequent cognitive delays, impairments in executive functioning, and disruptions of the body’s stress response. This new two-page summary—part of the InBrief series—explains why significant deprivation is so harmful in the earliest years of life and why effective interventions are likely to pay significant dividends in better long-term outcomes in learning, health, and parenting of the next generation.

Voices from Frontiers of Innovation: Building Adult Capabilities

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:24:55 -0400

A new interactive video gallery includes members of Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) speaking about how the initiative’s science-based theory of change for achieving breakthrough outcomes for vulnerable children and families is relevant to—and changing—the way they and others work in a range of policy and practice sectors.

FOI, a community of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, philanthropists, and experts in systems change from across North America, is working to bring about substantially greater positive impacts for vulnerable young children whose needs (or the needs of their caregivers) are not being fully met by existing policies and programs. To do that, FOI seeks to spur the field by forging cross-sector collaborations that prompt creativity, support experimentation, and learn from experience.

Lecture and Event Videos Now Online: Askwith Forum and Early Childhood Summit 2013

Thu, 30 May 2013 23:57:34 -0400

Askwith Forum

This event, part of the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Askwith Forums, brought together a distinguished group of experts from a range of policy, practice, and research perspectives to discuss President Obama's proposal for universal early childhood education. The panel featured Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff and Center-affiliated faculty members Stephanie Jones and Hirokazu Yoshikawa.

Watch the forum video >>

Early Childhood Summit 2013

This daylong event in Boston convened neuroscientists, pediatricians, educators, business and museum professionals, and policymakers in order to develop a broad partnership dedicated to improving outcomes for children. The summit featured Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff as keynote speaker and a full roster of nationally recognized leaders in early childhood research, practice, and policy.

View Summit materials >>

2013-14 Julius B. Richmond Fellowships: Harvard Graduate Students Awarded Dissertation Research Grants

Thu, 30 May 2013 23:49:21 -0400

To support the goal of creating a new generation of leaders who have a broad perspective on the promotion of healthy child development and who recognize the need to bring strong scientific knowledge to bear on policies and programs that support the well-being of children, the Center is pleased to announce the Julius B. Richmond Fellowship recipients for the 2013-14 academic year. The Center will fund the research of four Harvard students:

Soojin Oh is a doctoral candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research project examines how social, cultural, and organizational contexts influence early language development among children of low-income families.

Alonso Sánchez is a doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Sánchez’s research focuses on low-income mothers who receive nutritional and health support during their child’s prenatal period and first year of life from a Mexican anti-poverty program called Oportunidades.

Benjamin Sosnaud is a doctoral candidate studying sociology in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. His research explores the association between maternal socioeconomic position and education and infant mortality in the United States.

Ashley Winning is a doctoral student at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her research assesses whether early psychological distress in children influences risk for heart and metabolic problems in adulthood, even when the distress is no longer an issue in adulthood.

New Feature Articles: Tackling Toxic Stress

Thu, 30 May 2013 23:46:12 -0400

This week, the Center launches a new multi-part series of journalistic articles for the web entitled, “Tackling Toxic Stress.” The series examines how policymakers, researchers, and practitioners in the field are re-thinking services for children and families based on the science of early childhood development and an understanding of the consequences of adverse early experiences and toxic stress. The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child created the categories of positive, tolerable, and toxic stress to help describe the body's stress response and its varied effects on health, learning, and behavior. The first two stories in the series describe how the American Academy of Pediatrics has made early brain and child development a strategic priority and is working to help its 60,000 physician members consider children’s risks for toxic stress when doing routine pediatric checkups.

New Video: Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes: A Theory of Change

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:46:39 -0400

This 5-minute video depicts a theory of change from the Frontiers of Innovation community for achieving breakthrough outcomes for vulnerable children and families. It describes the need to focus on building the capabilities of caregivers and strengthening the communities that together form the environment of relationships essential to children's lifelong learning, health, and behavior.

Upcoming Lecture: The Neurobiology of Social Behavior Development

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:38:39 -0400

UPCOMING LECTURE
The Neurobiology of Social Behavior Development

Pat Levitt, Ph.D.
Science Director, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
Provost Professor of Neuroscience, Psychiatry & Pharmacy; Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California

Fong Auditorium
Boylston Hall, Harvard Yard
Cambridge, Mass.
View this location on the Harvard University Campus Map >>

MODERATOR
Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D.
Julius B. Richmond FAMRI Professor of Child Health and Development, Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Graduate School of Education
Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital
Director, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

This lecture is co-sponsored with the Conte Center at Harvard University, and is free and open to the public.

ABSTRACT
Humans are highly interactive socially, and early in life must learn the meaning of cues in their environment that are essential for developing social skills and controlling emotions. But not all individuals develop these skills to the same extent. There are striking individual differences in the quality of social behavior in typically developing children and in those with neurodevelopmental disorders. There is also great diversity in the quality of social behavior across—and within— other species. But how does social behavior develop? Improved understanding of this developmental process can help us identify children who are at greater risk for a range of poor outcomes in school, at work, and in building healthy relationships with others—and to design innovative approaches that positively influence the development of social skills. This presentation will focus on research that examines the development of social behavior in humans and animals and how it relates to certain types of early learning, and will discuss how the research can chart a way forward to better understanding of the biological basis for individual differences.

Pat Levitt, Ph.D., received his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Neuroscience at Yale University. Dr. Levitt has held leadership positions at several medical schools, including Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, Chairman of the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Named a McKnight Foundation Scholar in 2002, Dr. Levitt also was a MERIT awardee from the National Institute of Mental Health and recently completed his term as a member of the National Advisory Mental Health Council for the National Institute of Mental Health. He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. He serves as Science Director of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and Director of the Marino Autism Research Institute. He is a member of a number of scientific advisory boards for foundations and university programs, and also is a member of six editorial boards of basic and clinical neuroscience journals. Dr. Levitt’s research focuses on the development of brain architecture that controls learning, emotional and social behavior. His human genetics and basic research studies focus on understanding the causes of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, and how genes and the environment together influence typical and atypical development. Dr. Levitt has published over 225 scientific papers and is a frequently invited speaker at national and international scientific seminars and conferences. He also is an avid participant in business and policy forums that promote investments in the health and education of brain and child development. Dr. Levitt presents to state legislatures and to business groups, and in 2007, he spoke at the Summit on America’s Children for House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

New Multimedia Presentation: "Mapping Brain Connectivity"

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:01:26 -0500

The new field of “connectomics” aims to show how brains behave at a level not previously possible—examining how entire brains are wired together, how wiring changes as brains grow up, and how interactions with the external world affect this wiring. The Lichtman Lab at Harvard University, a partner in the Conte Center at Harvard, pioneered tools to potentially map every connection in a complete brain and has started to map the connectome in mouse brains. In this narrated, 15-minute multimedia presentation, postdoctoral fellow Bobby Kasthuri shares some of the results and insights from his work at the Lichtman Lab, using images and videos that show three-dimensional recreations of actual neural connections in the brain. He also discusses the future direction of this work in helping to understand how early adverse experiences affect connectivity.

Register Now for the Early Childhood Summit 2013

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:14:02 -0500

Registration is now open for the 2013 Early Childhood Summit in Boston, co-sponsored by the Boston Children's Museum, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, and Strategies for Children. This daylong summit on Friday, April 5, 2013, will bring together neuroscientists, pediatricians, educators, business and museum professionals, and policymakers to develop a broad partnership dedicated to improving outcomes for children.

The event will feature Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff as keynote speaker and a full roster of nationally recognized leaders in early childhood research, practice, and policy.

Event Details

Early Childhood Summit 2013: Innovation and Opportunity
Friday, April 5, 2013 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Federal Reserve Bank
600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston

Register

For more information and to register, please visit earlychildhoodsummit2013.eventbrite.com.
Space is limited.

Summer Internship Opportunity for Harvard Undergraduate

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:56:47 -0500

The Center for Public Policy at INSPER-Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa in Brazil is looking to take on a Harvard undergraduate student as a summer intern. The candidate will participate in a research project on child development, utilizing longitudinal data from a sample of 5000 people who are from Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The work involves using databases, producing statistics and building tables. The candidate will also help organize the INSPER session of the Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância’s Executive Leadership Course, which takes place in São Paulo, Brazil from June 24-26, 2013.

Opportunity Time Frame: Between June and August, 2013 (minimum 60 days)

Fields of Interest: Business & Economics, Public Policy

Language Requirements: Fluency in English and an intermediate level of Portuguese.

How to Apply: Interested students should fill out the following survey by April 30th, 2013:

https://harvard.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_aXfbUimI8x2eA3H

Research Opportunity: Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Harvard School of Public Health

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:20:57 -0500

Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) is looking for a post-doctoral fellow with an interest in the determinants and measurement of early childhood development in a cross-national or global context. The post-doctoral fellow will work as part of a large, multidisciplinary group involving researchers from HSPH, the Imperial College in London, the Aga Khan University in Pakistan, and the Ifakara Health Institute and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania.

The primary goal of the overall project is to generate comparable national and regional estimates of the welfare implications of impaired development in the early childhood period. The primary objective of this post-doctoral position will be to review and evaluate various metrics of early childhood development in multiple domains of function, working at the intersection of risk factor assessment, epidemiology, and intervention research. In the context of the larger global project, emphasis will be placed on the validity and comparability of measures across multiple domains of development and within a wide diversity of cultural contexts, with a particular interest in those aspects of development that are disrupted by the effects of significant adversity.

The position will also involve analysis of large datasets from multiple epidemiological studies in order to develop a set of ‘cross walk’ models that would enable the conversion of various metrics of early childhood development into a short list of key indicators for assessing a range of economic and social welfare impacts. Oportunities will also be provided to participate in the design and testing of novel measures of child development in field settings in developing countries.

The post-doctoral fellow will be based at the Harvard School of Public Health and work in close collaboration with faculty at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. The appointment will be for 18-24 months and will start at the earliest date possible.

Successful candidates will have recently completed their doctoral degree in child development or a closely related field such as developmental psychology, education or social epidemiology, by the time of application or expected by May 2013. Other requirements for the position include experience managing and programming large-scale data sets from epidemiological studies using advanced statistics, and strong knowledge of early childhood development measures in an international context.

The application deadline is January 30, 2013. Please send a CV, names and contact information of three references, and an application letter to:

Susan Gilbert
Department of Global Health and Population
Harvard School of Public Health
Email: savingbrainspostdoc@gmail.com

Student Employment Opportunity: Graduate Research Assistant, Harvard School of Public Health

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:10:39 -0500

The Harvard School of Public Health is looking for a graduate student with an interest in the determinants and measurement of early childhood development in a cross-national or global context. The research assistant will work as part of a large, multidisciplinary group involving researchers from HSPH, the Imperial College in London, the Aga Khan University in Pakistan, and the Ifakara Health Institute and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania, that is engaged in a project to generate comparable national and regional estimates of the welfare implications of impaired development in the early childhood period.

The primary responsibility of the research assistant will be to conduct literature reviews and related analysis of measures of early childhood development in multiple domains of function, working at the intersection of risk factor assessment, epidemiology, and intervention research. In the context of the larger global project, emphasis will be placed on the validity and comparability of measures across multiple domains of development and within a wide diversity of cultural contexts, with a particular interest in those aspects of development that are disrupted by the effects of significant adversity.

Applicants are expected to have a Bachelor’s Degree in education, psychology or a related field and demonstrate a strong interest in early childhood development. Excellent organizational, communication, and writing skills are required along with strong quantitative skills. Knowledge of STATA, SAS or other data analysis software is preferred.

The research assistant will be based at the Harvard School of Public Health, and work in close collaboration with the faculty at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. The position is for the current academic year with the possibility of extension, and will start at the earliest date possible.

The application deadline is January 30, 2013. Please send a CV, names and contact information of three references, and an application letter to:

Susan Gilbert
Department of Global Health and Population
Harvard School of Public Health
Email: savingbrainspostdoc@gmail.com

New Brief: InBrief: Early Childhood Mental Health

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:38:16 -0500

The science of child development shows that the foundation for sound mental health is built early in life, as early experiences—which include children’s relationships with parents, caregivers, relatives, teachers, and peers—shape the architecture of the developing brain. Disruptions in this developmental process can impair a child’s capacities for learning and relating to others, with lifelong implications. This two-page summary—part of the InBrief series—explains why, many costly problems for society, ranging from the failure to complete high school to incarceration to homelessness, could be dramatically reduced if attention were paid to improving children’s environments of relationships and experiences early in life. The brief provides an overview of Establishing a Level Foundation for Life: Mental Health Begins in Early Childhood, a Working Paper by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.

Full-Time Employment Opportunity: Project Manager, Science of Health and Development Initiative

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:34:37 -0500

This new position will play a key role on the dynamic team working on the Science of Health and Development (SHD) Initiative, which includes the work of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, at the Center on the Developing Child, a rapidly growing, mission-driven, University-wide center. The mission of the SHD Initiative is to advance the scientific understanding of how genes, experiences, and environmental influences interact during prenatal, child, and adolescent development to affect brain development and lifelong outcomes in health, learning, and behavior. This position will take the lead on planning and executing key components of a complex and multi-pronged initiative with significant impact to the Center, to Harvard, and beyond.

Internship Opportunity: Director's Internship, Harvard University Institute of Politics

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:43:08 -0500

The Department of Social and Health Services in Washington State is offering a unique internship opportunity to work in state government through the Harvard University of Institute of Politics (IOP) Director's Internship Program. The IOP Director’s intern will work across multiple agencies supporting policy development and implementation related to early childhood education and health.

Washington has been deeply engaged with the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University since August 2011 as part of the Center’s Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) Initiative. The mission of the Center is to leverage science on behalf of vulnerable children to reduce disparities in health, learning, and behavior. Washington State’s Department of Social and Health Services, Department of Early Learning, and many others throughout the executive and legislative branches are committed to creating policy change that benefits young children and families by reducing barriers to learning and strengthening the lifelong foundations of health. Using the Center’s scientific resources, Washington has adopted a “one science” model to coordinate efforts across a range of education, health, and human service agencies and is launching a cross-discipline professional development effort focused on building executive function and self-regulation in children.

The Director’s Intern will provide coordination to this complex and growing multi-agency agenda, reporting to the Early Childhood Development Cross Systems Coordinator for FOI at the Department of Social and Health Services. The Director’s Intern will work closely with this onsite project lead who serves as the advisor to this highly visible initiative and manager of key relationships within Washington State (including but not limited to members of the legislature, gubernatorial appointees, agency staff, and social service providers), the national FOI community (including scientists, practitioners, policymakers, philanthropists, and experts in systems change), and with Harvard-based project staff.

This position is a great opportunity for students interested in looking at a career in government, public policy, or advocacy. The Director’s Intern will get a closer look at the operations of state government, and improving their policy development, project management, communication, and relationship building skills. The ideal candidate is a student who is organized, hard working, self-motivated and a very strong writer to help support the staff in Washington and at the Center on the Developing Child. The center is looking for a team player with an interest in the application of science for social change, and an enthusiasm for learning new skills while utilizing existing professional talents to assist with the execution of this multi-faceted public sector project.

Job Requirements

Candidates must have a strong record of academic achievement;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
Demonstrated interest in public policy issues and public service;
Exceptional time management and organizational skills;
Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

2013 Director's Internship Application

The Director's Internship Program arranges paid summer internships for Harvard undergraduates interested in pursuing careers in politics or public service. This summer, the IOP is offering over 100 summer internships, in the U.S. and abroad. IOP Director's Interns are responsible for completing 8-10 weeks of work and receive a financial stipend of $4000.

Applications must be submitted through the IOP web site at http://www.iop.harvard.edu/directors-internship-application

Select "Center on the Developing Child/Washington State Department of Social and Health Services" from the "2013 IOP Director's Internship Participating Organizations" dropdown menu.

The 2013 application is due February 10, 2013.

Questions about eligibility, timing of applications, application guidelines, or the application form should be directed to IOP Director of Internships, Amy Howell at 617-384-9378 or amy_howell@harvard.edu.

Full-Time Employment Opportunity: Project Coordinator, Frontiers of Innovation

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 11:17:37 -0500

This position will act as a key team member working on the Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) initiative at the Center on the Developing Child. The mission of FOI is to produce transformational thinking about how to enhance human potential by supporting the healthy development of young children, with particular focus on disadvantaged children and families. The work of the FOI community is centered on two core priorities: (1) forging cross-sector connections that foster new, innovative interventions to significantly increase the impact of current early childhood programming and (2) accelerating innovation through a small portfolio of working groups that are committed to developing breakthrough intervention models, as well as a cluster of community-based demonstration sites and state policy collaborations that develop, implement, and test new intervention models and innovative policy ideas. This role will provide coordination to this complex and growing project and report to a Senior Project Manager.

New Working Paper: The Science of Neglect: The Persistent Absence of Responsive Care Disrupts the Developing Brain

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:25:03 -0500

Young children who experience severe neglect bear the burdens of a range of adverse consequences, including cognitive delays, impairments in executive functioning, and disruptions of the body’s stress response, says a new Working Paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. “The Science of Neglect: The Persistent Absence of Responsive Care Disrupts the Developing Brain,” explains why severe neglect can cause more harm to a young child’s development than overt physical abuse, why neglect is so harmful in the earliest years of life, and why preventive efforts and effective interventions are so crucial in helping to ensure better long-term outcomes in learning, health, and parenting of the next generation.

Faculty Spotlight: Theresa Betancourt: Studying the Effects of Global Adversity, Two Generations at a Time

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:26:00 -0500

As part of an ongoing series of research profiles of Center-affiliated faculty members, a new feature on the Center's web site focuses on the work of Theresa Betancourt, M.A., Sc.D., an associate professor of child health and human rights in the department of global health and population at the Harvard School of Public Health, and director of the Research Program on Children and Global Adversity at the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights. Through her work with former child soldiers in Sierra Leone and Rwandan children whose parents have HIV/AIDS, Betancourt hopes to demonstrate that, even in crisis situations, combining attention to children’s developmental needs with short-term survival efforts only magnifies the long-range benefits for individuals, families, and societies.

Journal Features Center Affiliates' Work on Biology of Early Adversity

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:27:59 -0400

The developmental and biological consequences of early social adversity are explored in a special supplement of the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) published in print on Oct. 16, 2012. “Biological Embedding of Early Social Adversity: From Fruit Flies to Kindergartners” features articles by Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff and Center-affiliated Harvard faculty members Takao Hensch and Charles A. Nelson III. The supplement also contains articles by members of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, including: W. Thomas Boyce of the University of British Columbia; Greg J. Duncan of the University of California, Irvine; Nathan A. Fox of the University of Maryland College Park; Megan R. Gunnar of the University of Minnesota; and Bruce McEwen of The Rockefeller University. Articles are available free to the public at the PNAS web site.

Internship Opportunity: Mapping Brain Connectivity

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:23:00 -0500

The new field of “connectomics’” aims to understand how brains behave at a level not previously possible—examining how entire brains are wired together, how wiring changes as brains grow up, and how interactions with the external world affect this wiring. The Lichtman Lab at Harvard University has pioneered tools to potentially map every connection in a complete brain and started to map the connectome in mouse brains. Now, in collaboration with the Center on the Developing Child, and as part of the Conte Center at Harvard, the lab is recruiting students to contribute to this mapping effort.

Specific Duties

Students will use computer-based tracing tools developed with the latest in machine vision research to assist in reconstructing neural circuits imaged at nanometer resolution in order to build colorful, dynamic 3-D images of neural circuitry. In addition to helping reconstruct a visualization of the neural circuits they trace on the computer, students will be training the next generation of machine learning algorithms—which in the future will allow computers to further aid human tracing efforts.

Connectomics image data sets are over 1000 Gigabytes in size and much of that data has never been seen by anyone. Thus, this is a unique opportunity to learn and possibly discover something entirely novel about brain circuitry. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to see and operate the technology that produces nanometer scale connectomes, including electron microscopes.

Required Education, Experience and Skills

The successful applicant will be meticulous and pay great attention to detail. Scientific knowledge and interest is helpful but not required; excellent visual acuity and the ability to trace accurately using computer tools are the most beneficial skills for this work. Interns will be trained to use the tools to identify and trace neural circuits. This position will be filled ASAP and will continue through 2012-2013 academic year. The successful candidate should be willing to dedicate 3-4 hours per week to the position. Duties will be conducted on the Harvard Cambridge campus in the Northwest Building. This unpaid position is open to high school students, undergraduates and graduate students.

Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to Lisa Haidar at lisa_haidar@harvard.edu.

Boston Children's Hospital Videos Highlight Labs of Center Affiliates

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:48:00 -0400

The Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience (LCN) are the focus of a series of new videos produced by Boston Children's Hospital. The series showcases the labs of two Center-affiliated faculty members, Charles A. Nelson III, Ph.D., and Margaret Sheridan, Ph.D., which study a variety of questions related to brain and behavorial development in infants and children. Each video runs approximately 2-3 minutes.

When Brain Development Goes Awry

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:47:13 -0400

Led by Takao Hensch, Harvard scientists who are pioneers in the diverse fields of brain plasticity, connectomics, genomic imprinting, and super-resolution imaging are now collaborating with experts in bioinformatics to understand and communicate the changes in neural circuits that underlie disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. In the fall of 2011, the National Institute of Mental Health brought this team together with a $9 million grant to establish the Conte Center at Harvard.

Opening Windows in the Brain

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:46:39 -0400

As part of an ongoing series of research profiles of Center-affiliated faculty members, a new feature on the Center's web site focuses on the work of Takao Hensch, Ph.D., a professor of molecular and cellular biology at Harvard and professor of neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital. As a young neurobiologist, Hensch started exploring classic questions of brain development by studying the visual systems of mice. Twenty years later, he has made significant breakthroughs in studying how experiences shape the developing brain at the molecular level.

InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:44:41 -0400

Being able to focus, hold and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having a sophisticated air traffic control system to manage information at a busy airport. In the brain, this mechanism is called executive function and self-regulation, a group of skills that, with the right formative experiences, begin to develop in early childhood and continue to improve through the early adult years. A new evidence base has identified these skills as essential for school achievement, success in work, and healthy lives. This two-page summary—part of the InBrief series—outlines how these lifelong skills develop, what can disrupt their development, and how supporting them pays off in school and life.

New Executive Function Training Module from Washington State Department of Early Learning

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:45:45 -0400

This new online training module was produced by the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) to help early care and education providers better understand and support the development of executive function skills. Created in collaboration with the Center's Frontiers of Innovation initiative, DEL's 6-part professional development module includes video of researchers, teachers, and children to both explain and demonstrate how these critical skills form and what they look like in the early learning classroom.

New Video: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:33:50 -0400

Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways. In the brain, this air traffic control mechanism is called executive functioning, a group of skills that helps us to focus on multiple streams of information at the same time, and revise plans as necessary. InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning explains how these lifelong skills develop, what can disrupt their development, and how supporting them pays off in school and life. This 5-minute video, the latest in the InBrief series, provides an overview of Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function, the joint Working Paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.

Watch the video >>

Faculty Spotlight: Jordan Smoller

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:32:14 -0400

As part of an ongoing series of research profiles of Center-affiliated faculty members, a new feature on the Center's Web site focuses on the work of Jordan Smoller, M.D., Sc.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and the science director of the Center's new Science of Health and Development Initiative. By creating a hub for multi-disciplinary research on child development, Smoller hopes to spur research and new ways of thinking that ultimately could inform innovations in public health policy and practice.

Read this feature >>

Media Coverage: New York Times Op-Ed Addresses Long-Term Negative Impact of Immigration Policy on Children

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:29:20 -0400

Deporting undocumented parents can create lasting harm for their American citizen children, according to a recent op-ed in The New York Times co-authored by Center-affiliated faculty member and Academic Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education Hirokazu Yoshikawa. The article warns that children of deportation have a greater likelihood of facing long-term negative impacts, including economic turmoil, psychic scarring, and reduced school attainment. Yoshikawa stresses that a more humane deportation policy, focused on violent offenders and not those with strong family ties, is necessary.

Read the full article >>

Several other media outlets, including Education Week, The New York Times, and the Harvard Gazette, have featured the research of Center affiliates in recent months. The full list of media coverage, with descriptions and links to each article, can be found on the Center Web site's Media Coverage page.

View list of media coverage >>

Full-Time Employment Opportunity: Assistant Director of Finance

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:50:10 -0400

The Center on the Developing Child is currently hiring for the position of Assistant Director of Finance. Under the direction of the Center’s Deputy Director/Director, Finance and Administration, the Assistant Director of Finance is responsible for the financial management, reporting and analysis and monitoring of gifts, contracts, grants, and other types of awards for the Center. Additionally, this individual has direct supervision of financial staff responsible for a variety of financial tasks, which include, but are not limited to, processing of invoices and reimbursements, monitoring of financial accounts, producing monthly variance reports, and administering of the time and attendance and payroll processes.

New Center Initiative: The Science of Health and Development Initiative

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:06:26 -0400

A new Center on the Developing Child endeavor, the Science of Health and Development Initiative aims to advance the scientific understanding of how genes, experiences, and environmental influences interact during prenatal, child, and adolescent development to affect brain development and lifelong outcomes in health, learning, and behavior. Led by Science Director Jordan W. Smoller, M.D., Sc.D., and informed by an advisory group of other affiliated faculty members, the initiative represents an intersection of the biological and social sciences at the Center and encompasses research efforts and applied work related to the biology of adversity, the early origins of racial disparities, and toxic stress.

2012-13 Julius B. Richmond Fellowships: Harvard Graduate Students Awarded Dissertation Research Grants

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:05:39 -0400

State Policy Collaboration: Innovation in Washington State

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:07:03 -0400

The state of Washington has launched a collaborative effort with the Frontiers of Innovation community to develop and test innovative policies and practices in Washington that support better outcomes for vulnerable children and families. As part of the Innovation by Design state policy collaboration, Washington's goal is to improve learning and health outcomes, in part by building executive function and self-regulation skills in children through strengthening those capacities in their parents and other caregivers. In interviews filmed in 2011, key leaders in Washington, including Governor Christine Gregoire, Director of the Department of Early Learning Bette Hyde, Former Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services Susan N. Dreyfus, and Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, described their vision for this collaborative effort.

Executive Leadership Program: Brazilian Policymakers Convene at Harvard

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:02:25 -0400

In March, 50 Brazilian politicians, policymakers, public managers, and civil-society leaders traveled to Harvard to participate in a weeklong executive leadership course on early childhood development hosted by the Center on the Developing Child. The executive leadership program is part of the Center’s first major programmatic effort outside the United States, a collaborative initiative focused on using the science of child health and development to guide stronger policies and larger investments to benefit young children and their families in Brazil.

Measuring Childhood Development in Zambia

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:01:19 -0400

Launched in 2009, the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) is a collaborative effort to measure the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children’s development in Zambia. In order to measure the full impact of the anti-malaria campaign on Zambia’s human capital development, the ZECDP, including co-principal investigator Günther Fink, Ph.D., a Center-affiliated faculty member, created a new comprehensive instrument for assessing children’s physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development before and throughout their schooling careers—the first assessment tool of its kind in Zambia.

HBO Films Show Impact of Early Development on Later Obesity

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:51:19 -0400

Center Director Jack Shonkoff and Center-affiliated faculty member Matt Gillman are featured experts in the upcoming HBO documentary project on obesity in America, “The Weight of the Nation.” The centerpiece of the project, a four-episode primetime series, makes its debut over two nights, on May 14 & 15, 2012. As part of the project, HBO has also produced a set of short supplemental films that will be available at HBO.com and at HBO On Demand. In the short titled, “Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby: The Risks of Excess Weight,” Shonkoff appears, and the 30-minute film also extensively features Gillman, who is a professor and director of the obesity prevention program in the department of population medicine at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

Student Opportunity: Volunteer Note Takers, Frontiers of Innovation

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:28:57 -0500

The Center on the Developing Child is seeking volunteer note takers for our Frontiers of Innovation working meeting May 16 and 17, 2012. The Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) initiative is building an expanding and diverse community of policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and philanthropists and is designed to catalyze cross-sector, cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovative strategies to produce breakthrough outcomes in learning and health for vulnerable young children and their families.

In May the Center on the Developing Child will convene the most active core of the FOI community who are driving the innovation agenda, for two days (May 16 and 17) of highly interactive, facilitated small-group sessions. This meeting will be held at the Hyatt Harborside in Boston. Students will be responsible for their transportation to this meeting. Parking expenses will be reimbursed. This is a terrific opportunity for students to be a part of a highly-interactive meeting of the leading researchers, practitioners, policymakers and philanthropists interested in significantly improving outcomes for young children and families.

Specific Duties

-- Detailed and comprehensive note taking for approximately 6 breakout sessions
-- Assist hosts in synthesizing session outcomes to post online

Estimated time commitment:
May 16: 10 hours
May 17: 4 hours

Preferred Education, Experience and Skills

Student with an interest in child development or related social science field
Detail oriented, self-motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a team
Interested applicants should submit a CV and cover letter to Susan Levene at susan_levene@harvard.edu by Monday, March 26, 2012.

Student Opportunity: Internship, Frontiers of Innovation

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:27:23 -0500

The Center on the Developing Child has one opening for an intern to support a two-week series of webinars and online discussions during July for the Frontiers of Innovation community. The Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) initiative is building an expanding and diverse community of policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and philanthropists and is designed to catalyze cross-sector, cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovative strategies to produce breakthrough outcomes in learning and health for vulnerable young children and their families.

Position Description

The Center on the Developing Child is seeking a highly motivated student to assist staff in planning and implementing a series of highly interactive webinars and online discussions during July 2012. Sessions will be comprised of launch presentations and participant dialogue followed by a few days of moderated online group development of strategies and promising ideas. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact with innovative researchers, state agency and policy leaders, clinicians, and practitioners in the fields of early childhood development, physical and mental health, and family economic security.

Responsibilities will include assisting with content and logistical planning of webinars and online group discussion, helping to schedule, register, and provide administrative support in managing the seminars, and communicating with seminar hosts and FOI community participants (publicize events, provide updates, post readings, and conduct content synthesis)

This is a paid internship for two-months from the end of May through July. 20-30 hours per week. Duties will be conducted mainly on-site.

Interested applicants should submit a CV, cover letter, and the names and email addresses for three references to Susan Levene at susan_levene@harvard.edu by Monday, March 26, 2012.

Upcoming Lecture: Scaling Up Social Innovations in Developing Countries: Challenges, Lessons and Strategies (Thursday, 3/15/12, 4:30-6:30pm)

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:48:41 -0500

Scaling Up Social Innovations in Developing Countries:
Challenges, Lessons and Strategies

Richard Kohl, Ph.D.
Founder and Principal at Learning and Leading for Large Scale Change LLC

Thursday, March 15, 2012
4:30-6:30pm

The Barker Center, Thompson Room
12 Quincy Street
Cambridge, Mass. 02138 (map)

This event is free and open to the public, and sponsored by the Center's Global Children's Initiative.

ABSTRACT: Over the past 50 years of work in global development the dominant paradigm for change has been to focus on designing effective interventions and field testing them in small-scale pilot projects. The implicit assumption has been that with a little dissemination, promising or proven interventions would catalyze adoption and successful implementation at scale. Unfortunately, experience has shown that too often interventions alone are not enough and that for broader impact they must be accompanied by a systematic approach that addresses the challenges of scaling up.

Drawing on examples from his work in public health, early childhood development, and rural anti-poverty programs in India, Nigeria, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Dr. Richard Kohl will present an intellectual framework, tasks, tools, and practical guidelines on how to think about scaling up in international development. This event is free and open to the public.

Richard Kohl, Ph.D. is an international thought leader and practitioner in the field of scaling up. Dr. Kohl is currently founder and principal at Learning and Leading for Large Scale Change LLC, a consulting firm which supports researchers, implementing agencies and funders in designing and implementing strategies for scaling up, sustainability and high-impact. Dr. Kohl’s principal work has been in global public health, especially reproductive and sexual health and maternal and child health, early child development, education, and rural anti-poverty programs, and he has worked in over thirty countries. Prior to his work in scaling up and governance, Dr. Kohl was a senior economist at the OECD Development Center and the OECD Economics Department, a visiting scholar at the US State Dept., and an economics professor. Dr. Kohl holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley, and a B.A. from Swarthmore College. In addition, he is certified leadership trainer and coach for the Newfield Network of Boulder, Colorado and the Strozzi Institute of Petaluma, California.

Media Coverage: AAP Reports on Toxic Stress Generate Wide Media Interest

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:24:10 -0500

Harvard EdCast: “Toxic Stress in Early Childhood”
Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff discusses the impact of early childhood toxic stress on adult health in the January 23 EdCast, a weekly podcast interview conducted by Matt Weber at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Slate Magazine: “Tender Young Brains: What Kind of Childhood Stress Should Parents Actually Be Stressing About?”
A January 18 article from Slate cites the AAP reports on toxic stress as an important counterbalance to parents' unfounded worries that small stresses in a loving environment cause lasting damage, in contrast to the stress of serious early adversity without the buffering effect of supportive adult relationships.

The New York Times: “A Poverty Solution That Starts With a Hug”
New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof brings the impact of toxic stress to the forefront in a January 8 column, positing that the AAP policy statement's recommendations could have "revolutionary implications" for poverty, education, and health outcomes.

VIEW HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE >>

Upcoming Web Event: The Forum at HSPH To Host Webcast on Toxic Stress

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:23:13 -0500

The Forum at Harvard School of Public Health will host its next live broadcast event, "The Toxic Stress of Early Childhood Adversity: Rethinking Health and Education Policy," on February 7 in the Kresge Building at HSPH. A discussion with a live web audience, the event will feature expert participants, including Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff and Robert W. Block, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Launched in 2010, The Forum seeks to provide decision-makers with a global platform to discuss policy choices and scientific controversies.

Tues., Feb. 7, 2012, 3:00pm-4:00pm EST

Watch online & submit questions >>

Global Pediatrics Article: New Scientific Knowledge Can Inform Innovative Global Strategies

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:21:14 -0500

International discussions of child-related policies and practices often fail to make the vital connection between child survival, one of the developing world’s most pressing issues, and child development, an equally important prerequisite for productive and harmonious societies. However, an article in the February issue of Pediatrics co-authored by Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff posits that new knowledge in the biological and social sciences offers a unifying framework that can inform innovative strategies to improve both child survival and early development as well as adult outcomes in health, learning, and behavior. The article also calls for greater synergy across policy sectors related to child health and well-being, schooling, and economic development. The co-authors are Linda Richter of the Human Sciences Research Council and the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa; Jacques van der Gaag of the Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution, and the Amsterdam Institute for International Development, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Zulfiqar A. Bhutta of the Division of Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

READ FULL ARTICLE >>

American Academy of Pediatrics Calls for Action to Address Toxic Stress

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:28:55 -0500

American Academy of Pediatrics Calls for Action to Address Toxic Stress

The nation’s pediatricians have issued an urgent call to action to address the dangers of toxic stress experienced by children early in life.

Early adversity—including such experiences as physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance abuse or mental illness, exposure to violence, and/or the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship—has long been known to increase the risks of disease and life-threatening behaviors later in life. Now, scientific advances provide solid evidence of how this occurs and underscore an urgent need to enhance existing strategies for promoting health and preventing disease across the lifespan.

In the policy statement that appears in the January 2012 issue of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calls on “the entire pediatric community…to catalyze fundamental change in early childhood policy and services.” It urges a “greater focus on those interventions and community investments that reduce external threats to healthy brain growth.” Along with a technical report on the science of toxic stress, the policy statement marks the first time that the AAP, the premier U.S. organization of physicians who care for infants, children, adolescents and young adults, has highlighted toxic stress as a topic for urgent attention, and builds upon the cumulative work of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the Center on the Developing Child.

Read or download the full policy statement on the AAP Web site >>

Read or download the full technical report on the AAP Web site >>

RELATED RESOURCES

Internship Opportunity: Brazil Early Childhood Development Initiative

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:34:13 -0500

As part of its Global Children’s Initiative, the Center on the Developing Child has recently launched a major collaborative initiative in Brazil. Working with local experts, the Center seeks to improve life outcomes for Brazilian children through wise investment in effective early childhood policies and programs.

The Center is collaborating with the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University, Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo, and Insper. This project represents a unique opportunity for the Center to work with Brazilian scholars, policymakers, and civil society leaders to adapt the Center’s programmatic model for the local context in order to catalyze more effective policies and programs that will, ultimately, foster a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable society.

Position Description

The Center on the Developing Child is seeking a highly motivated student to support the implementation of the Brazil Initiative, and in particular, the inaugural Executive Leadership Program in Early Childhood Development for Brazilian policymakers. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to attend the Executive Leadership Program, March 11th-16th.

Responsibilities will include:

Contributing to the design and develop of an online portal for participants in the upcoming Executive Leadership Program, including ongoing administration and monitoring of the portal

Assisting with the preparation and administration of the Executive Leadership Program, and post-event follow-up

Other duties as assigned

This position will be filled ASAP and will continue through the end of the 2011-2012 academic year, with the possibility of extension beyond. The successful candidate should be willing to dedicate 8-12 hours per week to the position. Duties can be conducted off-site but the successful candidate will be expected to be able to attend meetings at the Center from time to time. This is an unpaid position, but does offer the possibility of a small stipend for on-site duties performed during the week of the Program (March 11th -16th).

Required Education, Experience and Skills

Student with an interest in global child development or related social science field

Detail oriented, self motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a team

Interest in web-based applications and online community building

Additional Qualifications

Proven interest in Brazil and/or a working understanding of Portuguese

Please submit a letter of interest and CV to Jessica Mason at: jessica_mason@harvard.edu

Media Coverage: The New York Times, "A Poverty Solution That Starts With a Hug"

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:12:04 -0500

Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof brings the impact of toxic stress to the forefront in this column for The New York Times. Addressing the American Academy of Pediatrics' January 2012 policy statement, which features Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff as co-author, Kristof posits that the paper's recommendations could have "revolutionary implications" for poverty, education, and health outcomes. As Kristof quotes the report, "Protecting young children from adversity is a promising, science-based strategy to address many of the most persistent and costly problems facing contemporary society."

Upcoming Lecture: "The Biology of Adversity and the Early Childhood Roots of Impairments in Learning, Behavior, and Health"

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:20:00 -0500

Inaugural Conte-CBS Colloquium on Mental Health

The Biology of Adversity and the Early Childhood Roots of Impairments in Learning, Behavior, and Health

Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D.
Director, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

Tuesday, January 31, 2012; 6:30 p.m.

Northwest Building, Room 243
52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Mass.

View map >>

The Harvard University Conte Center, comprised of faculty in the Center for Brain Science (CBS) and led by Center affiliated faculty member Takao Hensch, is a basic research team focused on the developmental origins of mental illness. The Conte-CBS Colloquium on Mental Health will be a monthly, interdisciplinary series of talks focused on mental health research.

Refreshments will be served at 6:00 p.m. An extended discussion for undergraduates will be held at 7:15 p.m. This event is open to all Harvard University students, fellows, faculty and staff.

Job Opening: Center Deputy Director and Director, Finance and Administration

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:20:35 -0500

Job Opening: Center Deputy Director and Director, Finance
and Administration

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University views healthy child development as the foundation of economic prosperity, strong communities, and a just society, and our mission is to advance that vision by using science to enhance child well-being through innovations in policy and practice. Drawing upon the full breadth of intellectual resources available across Harvard University’s schools and affiliated hospitals, the Center generates, translates, and applies knowledge in the service of improving life outcomes for children in the United States and throughout the world.

Since its inception in 2006, the Center has expanded significantly – the portfolio of activities has grown exponentially and the budget has increased from $1.6 to 8.4 million; the staff has increased from 4 to 25; 30 affiliated faculty have been appointed; students, post-doctoral fellows, and visiting scholars have been engaged; and $30 million has been raised from a broadened and diversified donor base. As the Center transitions from a start-up to a mature organization, the range and complexity of its portfolio is expected to increase.

Within this context, the Finance and Administration (F&A) related activities at the Center must also evolve in order to effectively support the growing needs of a dynamic organization driving a high impact strategy. To that end, we are seeking an energetic and seasoned professional to join the Center’s Senior Management Team and lead the strategic thinking and future direction of our finance and administration dimensions.

The Center Deputy Director and Director, Finance and Administration reports to the Center’s Managing Director and is responsible for the active stewardship and efficient management of the financial, IT, human resources, and general administrative services of the Center.

As the Center Deputy Director (CDD) this person will serve on the 4-person senior management team (SMT) as the key advisor to the Director and Managing Director in setting strategic financial planning and administrative objectives for a rapidly evolving organization. The CDD also serves as an ambassador for the Center in building critical relationships with investors, consultants, and subcontractors as well as with colleagues within the University with whom he or she interacts on a regular basis.

As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) this person will be responsible for general oversight of all aspects of the Center’s finances including management of the budget, payroll administration, and pre- and post-award activities for sponsored and gift agreements. The CFO will be directly responsible for developing proposal-specific and Center-wide budgets, leading the annual update of both the business plan and the annual report to the University, and maintaining current financial forecasts and cash-flow analyses. The CFO currently oversees the work of two finance staff.

As Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) this person will be responsible for the strategic planning and general oversight of human resources, information technology support, space planning and utilization, as well as office operations and administrative services. Important dimensions of this role include the ability to promote the professional development of staff members as well as to address personnel-related concerns in the context of a highly dynamic and growing organization. Currently, the CAO oversees the work of three staff members who are responsible for the day-to-day management of these functions.

B.A. with eight or more years of progressively responsible experience at a senior level covering a broad range of financial and administrative activities that includes strategic financial planning; experience developing and managing budgets, and using related software required.

All application materials for this position must be submitted through the Harvard Employment Web site.
Apply for this position >>

Applicants invited to interview will be required to provide a cover letter.

Reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses will be considered for finalists.

Additional Qualifications: M.B.A. preferred; experience working in a finance role in a University or other non-profit setting preferred; familiarity and experience with the financial and programmatic requirements and practices of major foundations including gifts and grants required; strong interpersonal skills including demonstrated ability to supervise and lead; strong oral and written communications skills required; advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, especially MS Excel.

Media Coverage: Harvard Gazette Features Center-Affiliated Faculty Members

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:46:53 -0400

An October 19 article in the Harvard Gazette featured Center-affiliated faculty members Charles A. Nelson III and Margaret Sheridan, who spoke at a seminar aimed at military veterans and members of the armed services, the first in a series by the Harvard College Veterans Engagement Initiative. Nelson and Sheridan, who are both on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, presented relevant research on child development, including the latest data on memory and attachment, to help inform military parents preparing for deployments and homecomings.

Distinguished Scholars Lecture Video: Lecture by Rockefeller University Scientist Now Online

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:02:02 -0400

Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D., a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, presented "The Brain on Stress: How the Social Environment Gets Under the Skin" on September 27, as part of the Distinguished Scholars Lecture Series sponsored by the Center. Video of McEwen's 90-minute presentation, which examined how chronic stress can cause changes in the brain and body that lead to disease, is now available for viewing on the Center's Web site.

Faculty Spotlight: Michelle Albert

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:00:48 -0400

As part of an ongoing series of research profiles of Center-affiliated faculty members, a new feature on the Center's Web site focuses on Michelle Albert, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Behavioral and Neurocardiovascular Cardiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. In this article, Albert discusses how her research to understand biological mechanisms and risk factors in childhood helps to inform her work with adult disease and disparities in health.

Now Accepting Applications: Julius B. Richmond Fellowships

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:17:53 -0400

Applications are now being accepted for Julius B. Richmond Fellowships at the Center on the Developing Child. These one-year fellowships support the dissertation research of Harvard University doctoral students. Students receive a $10,000 stipend in support of independent research that aligns with the broader mission of the Center.

All Harvard University doctoral students from the biological and social sciences as well as the professional schools are eligible to apply. Award decisions will be made in March 2012, and the fellowship will begin in September.

The deadline for submitting applications is 5PM EST on Friday, December 16, 2011.

Read more about the Julius B. Richmond Fellowships & how to apply: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/students_eld/fellowships/

New Video Series: "Three Core Concepts in Early Development"

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:55:04 -0400

This new, three-part video series from the Center and the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child depicts how advances in neuroscience, molecular biology, and genomics now give us a much better understanding of how early experiences are built into our bodies and brains, for better or for worse.

View the entires series as a YouTube playlist below:

1. Experiences Build Brain Architecture

2. Serve & Return Interaction Shapes Brain Circuitry

3. Toxic Stress Derails Healthy Development

Video: Center Director Presents at NBC News' "Education Nation"

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:56:51 -0400

On Monday, September 26, 2011, Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., presented at NBC News' Education Nation Summit in New York City. His talk, "Stimulating Minds and Protecting Brains," was part of a session featuring presentations on the science of early brain development and how that affects learning, behavior, and health for a lifetime. The two-day summit brought together educators, parents, policymakers, elected officials, business leaders, students and others to discuss pressing topics in American education.

Upcoming Lecture: The Brain on Stress: How the Social Environment “Gets Under the Skin”

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:06:33 -0400

Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D.
Alfred E. Mirsky Professor
Head of the Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology
The Rockefeller University

Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 4:00-6:00PM

Fong Auditorium
Boylston Hall, Harvard Yard
Cambridge, Mass.

This event is free and open to the public.

New Journal Articles

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:12:51 -0400

COMMENTARY PROPOSES NEW THEORY OF CHANGE

In an August 19 commentary in Science, Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff makes the case for scientists, practitioners, and policymakers to work together to design and test creative new interventions that mitigate the harmful effects of significant adversity in early childhood. As Shonkoff states in the commentary, "New strategies will be needed to strengthen the capacities of parents and providers of early care and education (beyond the provision of additional information and supports) to help young children cope with stress."

IMPACT OF EARLY ADVERSITY DISCUSSED IN INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION

Early exposure to fear and anxiety can have lasting effects on learning and development, according to a recent article by Nathan A. Fox, a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and Director of the Child Development Laboratory at the University of Maryland College Park, and Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff. Abuse, maltreatment, and the persistent threat of violence are examples of circumstances that can disrupt the developing architecture of the brain. In the article, Fox and Shonkoff emphasize the importance of policies and programs taking children's developmental needs into account, particularly for those living under stressful circumstances. The article appears in the June 2011 issue of Early Childhood Matters, an international journal published biannually by the Bernard van Leer Foundation. This journal is available in both English and Spanish.

2011-2012 Julius B. Richmond Fellowships

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:11:52 -0400

To support the goal of creating a new generation of leaders who have a broad perspective on the promotion of healthy child development and who recognize the need to bring strong scientific knowledge to bear on policies and programs that support the well-being of children, the Center recently announced this year's recipients of its annual Julius B. Richmond Fellowships. In the fifth year for the program, the Center will fund the research of three Harvard students:

Todd Grindal is a 5th year doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he studies the impact of public policies on young children and children with disabilities. His dissertation research is focused on the unionization of home child care providers and its impact on early education policy and practice. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, he worked for six years as a teacher and school administrator at the preschool and elementary levels.

Sarah Hope Lincoln is a 4th year clinical psychology doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. She is interested in developmental psychopathology, specifically the neurobiological mechanisms underlying severe mental illness in children and adolescents. Her research is focused on elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying social cognitive deficits that may relate to impairment in social functioning in children, adolescents, and young adults at risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Andrew Thorne-Lyman is a 4th year doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is interested in the potential of nutritional interventions during pregnancy and early childhood to improve neonatal and infant health and developmental outcomes. His doctoral research explores the effects of vitamin D and calcium on maternal and child health outcomes, including preterm delivery, preeclampsia, and infant growth and mortality in Tanzania and Denmark.

Follow the Center on Twitter

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:35:39 -0400

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University is now on Twitter. Follow us at http://twitter.com/HarvardCenter

USAID Brief on Early Childhood Development: Center's Global Team Consults on International Report

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:49:58 -0400

The Center's Global Children's Initiative recently reviewed and contributed to a technical brief for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on the importance of incorporating early childhood development (ECD) into programming for children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. The brief was prepared as part of the AIDSTAR-One program, USAID's main global technical assistance program for HIV/AIDS. It is intended for use by USAID country missions around the world, and their implementing partners, to increase knowledge about the importance of ECD and critical elements of ECD programs and to provide guidance on how to begin incorporating ECD into current U.S. government HIV programming. It represents an important step in applying the science of ECD to guide on-the-ground programs for vulnerable children.

Frontiers of Innovation Convening: Workshop Forges Cross-Sector Connections

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:48:40 -0400

The Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) initiative and online community, developed by the Early Childhood Innovation Partnership, is designed to forge cross-sector collaborations and create high-impact strategies to foster innovation in the field of early childhood programs and practices. The community launched with an invitation-only conference at Harvard University on May 3-5, 2011, bringing together 61 participants, including policymakers and analysts, researchers, practitioners, and philanthropists from 23 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces.

A set of three videos created for the meeting to set the stage for innovative thinking are available for viewing on the Center's Web site.

Media Coverage: NPR Highlights Research of Center Affiliate

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:47:08 -0400

A June 2 story on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" highlighted research by Center-affiliated faculty member Charles A. Nelson III, Ph.D., into the early signs of autism. Nelson's work, which looks closely at electrical activity in the brains of infants, is also providing hints about which therapies are likely to help children with autism spectrum disorders. Nelson, who is a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Richard David Scott Chair of Pediatric Developmental Medicine Research at Children's Hospital Boston, is a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.

Several other international media outlets, including The New Yorker, Time magazine, The Boston Globe, and Veja, a major publication in Brazil, have featured the research of Center affiliates in recent months. The full list of up-to-date media coverage, with descriptions and links to each article, can be found on the Center's Web site.

Neurons to Neighborhoods Available for Purchase Through iTunes

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:47:06 -0400

From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development is now available for digital purchase through iTunes. Originally published in 2000 by the National Academies Press, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents important findings about the effects of genetics, environment, and early stress on brain architecture; the impact of politics on programs for children; and the costs and benefits of intervention. Edited by Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff and Council Contributing Member Deborah A. Phillips, From Neurons to Neighborhoods celebrated the 10th anniversary of its publication in October 2010. Materials from the anniversary workshop in Washington, DC, are available for viewing on the Board on Youth, Children, and Families Web site.

The digital book can be viewed using the iBooks application available on iTunes.

New Video: Brain Hero

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:30:41 -0400

In 2009, the Center launched a collaboration with the Interactive Media Division of the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California to develop and test new ways of communicating the science of early childhood development using interactive media. Depicting how actions by a range of people in the family and community impact child development, this 3-minute video adapts the visual sensibility of interactive game models to a video format.

New Profile Highlights International Research by Center-Affiliated Faculty Member Günther Fink

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:48:45 -0400

As part of an ongoing series of research profiles of Center-affiliated faculty members, a new feature on the Center's Web site focuses on Günther Fink, Ph.D., an assistant professor of international health economics at Harvard School of Public Health. In this article, Fink discusses his work in Zambia examining the effects of an anti-malaria campaign on child development and how he and his colleagues have developed a new assessment for measuring those effects.

InBrief Videos Now Available in Spanish

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:47:22 -0400

Three videos from the Center's InBrief series, including InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development, InBrief: The Impact of Adversity on Children's Development, and InBrief: The Foundations of Lifelong Health, are now available in Spanish on the Center's Web site. The translations of these videos were made possible with major support from the World Bank.

New Working Paper: Building the Brain's "Air Traffic Control" System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:22:20 -0500

Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways. In the brain, this air traffic control mechanism is called executive functioning, a group of skills that helps us to focus on multiple streams of information at the same time and to revise plans as necessary. Acquiring the early building blocks of these skills is one of the most important and challenging tasks of the early childhood years, and the opportunity to build further on these rudimentary capacities is critical to healthy development through middle childhood and adolescence.

New Video: InBrief: The Foundations of LifelongHealth

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:00:28 -0500

This new video in the InBrief series explains how children's developing biological systems are affected by early experiences in ways that lay the groundwork for a lifetime of well-being or increased likelihood of disease and impairment. The video summarizes findings from The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood, a report co-authored by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.

InBrief: The Foundations of Lifelong Health from Center on the Developing Child on Vimeo.

New Journal Article: Child Development Article Underscores the Importance of Knowledge Translation for Policy and Practice

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:29:37 -0500

"Science Does Not Speak for Itself: Translating Child Development Research for the Public and Its Policymakers" is the topic of an article in the January/February issue of Child Development (Volume 82, Number 1, pages 17-32) co-authored by Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff and Susan Bales, President of the FrameWorks Institute. The article describes the work of a multiyear collaboration and underscores the need to view the translation of science into policy and practice as an important academic endeavor in its own right.
A subscription is required to read the article.

Julius B. Richmond Fellowship Applications: Harvard Doctoral Students Invited to Submit Applications for Richmond Fellowships

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:33:04 -0500

Applications are now being accepted for the Julius B. Richmond Fellowship program at the Center on the Developing Child. These one-year fellowships support the dissertation research of Harvard University doctoral students. Recipients are provided with a $10,000 stipend in support of independent research that aligns with the broader mission of the Center. All Harvard University doctoral students from the biological and social sciences as well as the professional schools are eligible to apply. The deadline for submitting applications is April 29, 2011. The fellowship awards will be announced in June, and the fellowship year will begin in September 2011.

Upcoming Lecture: W. Thomas Boyce, M.D., to Speak at Harvard School of Public Health

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:02:17 -0500

W. Thomas Boyce, M.D., a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, will speak at the Harvard School of Public Health on April 12 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. as part of the Center's Distinguished Scholars Lecture Series. His lecture will discuss why social class differences in early childhood adversity are among the most important and least understood determinants of human health and development.

April 12, 2011

4:00-6:00 p.m.

Kresge G2

Harvard School of Public Health

677 Huntington Avenue

Boston, Mass.

This event is free and open to all University students, faculty, and the general public.

Subscribe to the Center's YouTube Channel

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:36:57 -0500

The Center has launched its own YouTube channel. It currently features videos from the InBrief series, including the new InBrief: The Foundations of Lifelong Health. These videos are produced to provide concise summaries of recent scientific publications and expert presentations from the Center. Visit the Center's page to view and share the videos and subscribe to alerts about the addition of new content.

InBrief: The Foundations of Lifelong Health

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:20:42 -0400

InBrief: The Foundations of Lifelong Health is the fourth in a series of concise summaries of essential findings from recent scientific publications and presentations by the Center on the Developing Child. This new brief explains why a vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. It presents a science-based framework for decisions about policies, systems, and practices that affect the healthy development of all young children and their families. The information in this brief is based on findings from the recent report, The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood, co-authored by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.

From Neurons to Neighborhoods 10th Anniversary Event

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:23:08 -0400

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development, the landmark report which laid the foundation for the Center's distinctive mission, by the National Academy of Sciences.

On Thursday, October 28, the Board on Children, Youth, and Families will convene a workshop to celebrate the anniversary of this report. The workshop, which will include a live webcast, will review advances in scientific research as well as opportunities to build on existing best practices and enhance the transition into a new era in early childhood policy. The workshop will feature presentations by Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff, chair of the original study, Deborah Phillips, the study director and contributing member to the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, and other researchers, government officials, and leaders in the field of early childhood health and development. The participants will focus on the progress made in integrating child development research, neuroscience, and molecular genetics as well as how science can be mobilized to promote innovation and shape public policy in the next decade. Register to attend or view the live webcast at http://www.bocyf.org/Neurons_to_Neighborhoods_Anniversary.html

Global Gathering in Moscow Puts Early Childhood Issues Front and Center: High-Level Conference To Feature Keynote by Center Director Jack Shonkoff

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:22:50 -0400

In 2000, the world’s governments established a set of ambitious international goals—such as ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring that every child worldwide completes at least a primary education, and reducing child mortality by two-thirds—to be achieved by 2015. While progress has been made towards these targets, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 2015 is not so far away, and governments are struggling to meet their obligations.

Now, drawing upon a broad base of new scientific research in neuroscience, genomics, and other fields, high-level government leaders and other policymakers are to gather soon in Moscow in an historic attempt to put early childhood care and education (ECCE)—seen as key to meeting several of the MDGs—front and center as a human development policy imperative. The first-ever “World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education: Building the Wealth of Nations,” will convene September 27-29, 2010. Organized by UNESCO, the Russian Federation, and the City of Moscow, the conference will feature a keynote address by Jack Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.

New Report: The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:30:37 -0400

A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. Health in the earliest years--beginning with the future mother's well-being before she becomes pregnant--lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality. When developing biological systems are strengthened by positive early experiences, children are more likely to thrive and grow up to be healthy adults. Sound health also provides a foundation for the construction of sturdy brain architecture and the achievement of a broad range of skills and learning capacities. This new report was co-authored by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.

Interactive Feature: How Early Experiences Get Into the Body: A Biodevelopmental Framework

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:17:18 -0400

A new interactive feature, also available in a downloadable "flip chart" format, on the Center Web site explains how early experiences are biologically embedded in the development of the brain and other organ systems and have lifelong impacts on learning, behavior, and both physical and mental health. It offers an organizing structure, or "biodevelopmental framework," for thinking about these biological and developmental processes and their long-term effects.

2010-11 Julius B. Richmond Fellowships: Three Harvard Doctoral Students Selected for Research Support

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:18:06 -0400

To support the goal of creating a new generation of leaders who have a broad perspective on the promotion of healthy child development and who recognize the need to bring strong scientific knowledge to bear on policies and programs that support the well-being of children, the Center is pleased to announce this year's recipients of its annual Julius B. Richmond Fellowships. In the fourth year of the program, the Center will help fund the research of three Harvard students:

Erin C. Dunn is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her research is focused on identifying risk and protective factors linked to the onset of mental health problems in children and adolescents. In this work, she adopts an ecological or multi-level perspective, examining the role of both individual and contextual determinants, including genetic factors and the influence of neighborhood and school environments. One of her three dissertation papers is focused on identifying gene-environment interactions with respect to depression in youth.

Sky Marietta is an advanced doctoral student in Human Development and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. A former elementary school teacher, Marietta is focusing her research on understanding variation in language and literacy development in low-income children. She is currently conducting a mixed-methods study that compares children in rural Appalachia with economically matched peers in New England.

Matthew Ranson is a fifth-year doctoral student in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is interested in a range of issues related to environmental and behavioral economics, particularly non-market valuation and risk assessment. During his fellowship year, his work will examine the effects of prenatal pollution exposure on children's cognitive ability.

New Book Honoring T. Berry Brazelton

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:18:51 -0400

In honor of long-time friend of the Center and noted pediatrician and author T. Berry Brazelton, a new book will be published by Wiley-Blackwell in September called Nurturing Children and Families: Building on the Legacy of T. Berry Brazelton. The book, edited by Barry M. Lester, Ph.D., and Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D., provides an overview of the field of child development and outlines the achievements of Brazelton and his lasting influence on continuing research, practice, and public policy. It features contributions from experts from a wide variety of fields, such as pediatrics, early education, and psychology. Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., and Daniel Pederson, M.A., president of the Buffet Early Childhood Fund, contributed a chapter titled, "Translating the Science of Early Childhood Development into Policy and Practice."

New Working Paper: Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:33:55 -0400

New scientific research shows that environmental influences can actually affect whether and how genes are expressed. Thus, the old ideas that genes are "set in stone" or that they alone determine development have been disproven. In fact, scientists have discovered that early experiences can determine how genes are turned on and off and even whether some are expressed at all. Therefore, the experiences children have early in life - and the environments in which they have them - shape their developing brain architecture and strongly affect whether they grow up to be healthy, productive members of society. This new Working Paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child summarizes in clear language why this growing scientific evidence supports the need for society to re-examine the way it thinks about the circumstances and experiences to which young children are exposed.

Interactive Feature: New Online Slideshow Explains How Epigenetic Modification Can Shape Development

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:33:06 -0400

A new interactive feature on the Center's Web site describes and explains in simple terms how early experiences get into the body and change how genes are expressed, with lifelong consequences on developing organs, including the brain. Using an easy-to-follow slideshow format, this feature illustrates key scientific concepts from the Council's latest Working Paper, titled "Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development," including how research has shown that environmental factors and early experiences have the power to chemically mark genes and control their functions.

Faculty Spotlight: Catherine Snow

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:32:19 -0400

As part of an ongoing series of profiles of Center-affiliated faculty members and researchers and their work, a new feature on the Center Web site focuses on Catherine Snow, Ph.D., the Patricia Albjerg Graham Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In this article, Snow suggests that the preparation for preschool and primary teachers needs to broaden its traditional focus on how children acquire language and literacy skills to include an understanding of why.

Toxic Stress Response: The Facts

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:27:59 -0400

Learning how to cope with adversity is an important part of healthy child development. However, when that adversity is severe, frequent, or prolonged - and occurs in the absence of supportive adult relationships - it can induce a potentially damaging toxic stress response in a child's body and brain. A new page on the Center's Web site describes the toxic stress response; how it differs from two other stress responses, positive and tolerable; and how it can be prevented or even reversed. The page also answers frequently asked questions and provides a list of related reading.

General Education Course: Center to Offer First Undergraduate Course

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:25:59 -0400

For the first time in Fall 2010, the Center will offer a course for Harvard undergraduates, in addition to the two courses already available to graduate students. This new General Education course, titled "From Neurons to Nations: The Science of Early Childhood Development and the Foundations of a Successful Society," will introduce students to the biology of human development and explore how an understanding of core developmental concepts can inform beneficial social policies. The course will be taught by Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D.; Council member and Center-affiliated faculty member Charles A. Nelson III, Ph.D.; and Holly Schindler, Ph.D., a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and project director of the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs' meta-analytic database.

Council and Forum Members Honored: Professional Recognition for Two Center Affiliates

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:01:46 -0400

Greg Duncan, Ph.D., of the University of California, Irvine (UCI), who is a member of both the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, was recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Duncan, who is Distinguished Professor of Education in the department of education at UCI, was recognized for "distinguished and continuing achievements in original research."

Meanwhile, Center-affiliated faculty member Hirokazu Yoshikawa, a professor of education at Harvard Graduate School of Education, has been appointed chair of a new committee for the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council Board on Children, Youth, and Families. The Committee on the Science of Research on Families will review relevant research studies that illustrate family characteristics, such as family structure, processes, relationships, and experiences, that affect children's health and development. Yoshikawa is also science director of the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.

Questions & Answers: The Long Reach of Early Childhood Poverty

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:40:30 -0500

The long-run consequences of economic adversity in childhood show that when children experience poverty matters to their later-life outcomes, according to new data to be discussed at the 2010 AAAS Annual Meeting symposium, “The Long Reach of Early Childhood Poverty: Pathways and Impacts.” In this new Q&A, symposium panelists Drs. Greg Duncan and Katherine Magnuson, Tom Boyce, and Center Director Jack Shonkoff answer frequently asked questions regarding what exactly it is about poverty that causes problems, why serious adversity early in life can weaken the architecture of the developing brain, what innovation solutions can help, and more. Boyce, Duncan, and Shonkoff are members of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, and Duncan, Magnuson, and Shonkoff are members of the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.

New Working Paper: Persistent Fear and Anxiety Can Affect Young Children's Learning and Development

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:39:06 -0500

Ensuring that young children have safe, secure environments in which to grow, learn, and develop healthy brains and bodies is not only good for the children themselves but also builds a strong foundation for a thriving, prosperous society. Science shows that early exposure to circumstances that produce persistent fear and chronic anxiety can have lifelong consequences by disrupting the developing architecture of the brain. Unfortunately, many young children are exposed to such circumstances. This new report from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child examines why, while some of these experiences are one-time events and others may reoccur or persist over time, all of them have the potential to affect how children learn, solve problems, and relate to others.

Media Coverage: "How Childhood Trauma Can Cause Adult Obesity," by Maia Szalavitz (TIME, Jan. 5, 2010)

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:57:35 -0500

This article describes research linking stressful experiences early in life, including sexual abuse, to effects on health and behavior later on, from obesity to drug abuse. It quotes Jack P. Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child, about the significance of the findings.

New Maternal Depression Working Paper

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:52:48 -0500

The first joint Working Paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation summarizes recent evidence on the potentially far-reaching harmful effects of chronic and severe maternal depression on families and children. When children grow up in an environment of mental illness, the development of their brains may be seriously weakened, with implications for their ability to learn as well as for their own later physical and mental health. This report, titled "Maternal Depression Can Undermine the Development of Young Children," examines why the continuing failure to address the consequences of depression for large numbers of vulnerable, young children presents a missed opportunity to help families and children in a way that could support the future prosperity and well-being of society as a whole.

Media Coverage: "The Science of Success," by David Dobbs (The Atlantic, December 2009)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:03:22 -0500

This article discusses a new theory of behavioral genetics and quotes pediatrician W. Thomas Boyce, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.

Media Coverage: "Hub Lab Writing the Book on Face-Reading," by Patricia Wen (Boston Globe, Nov. 10, 2009)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:01:29 -0500

The article describes research conducted at Children's Hospital Boston by Center-affiliated faculty member Charles A. Nelson III, a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. The project studies when and how babies and young children learn to identify faces and discern facial expression

Frequently Asked Questions: Using Media With Very Young Children

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:02:19 -0500

There are no credible scientific data to support the claim that specialized videos or particular music recordings have a positive, measurable impact on developing brain architecture in the first 2-3 years of life. The most important influence on brain development is what is known as the “serve and return” interaction with caring adults, as defined by back-and-forth interactions with attentive, nurturing humans.

News Release: Five Harvard Graduate Students Receive Julius B. Richmond Fellowships

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:37:49 -0500

Five Harvard graduate students have been awarded these dissertation grants from the Center on the Developing Child, it was announced on Aug. 27, 2009. The five, all doctoral students pursuing research related to child health or development, will each receive a $10,000 award from the Center to fund independent research during the 2009-10 academic year.

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Changing the Focus: Building the Capabilities of Home-Based Child Care Providers

Shonkoff Interview Highlights "New Science Behind Early Education"

LECTURE VIDEO: Beth Babcock, M.C.R.P., Ph.D. - "Science Reshaping Poverty"

FEATURE ARTICLE: Pushing Toward Breakthroughs: Using Innovative Practice to Address Toxic Stress

INTERACTIVE FEATURE: Driving Science-Based Innovation in Policy and Practice: A Logic Model

Education Nation Presentation Available for Viewing

Two New Feature Articles in "Tackling Toxic Stress" Series

New InBrief: The Science of Neglect

Voices from Frontiers of Innovation: Building Adult Capabilities

Lecture and Event Videos Now Online: Askwith Forum and Early Childhood Summit 2013

2013-14 Julius B. Richmond Fellowships: Harvard Graduate Students Awarded Dissertation Research Grants

New Feature Articles: Tackling Toxic Stress

New Video: Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes: A Theory of Change

Upcoming Lecture: The Neurobiology of Social Behavior Development

New Multimedia Presentation: "Mapping Brain Connectivity"

Register Now for the Early Childhood Summit 2013

Event Details

Register

Summer Internship Opportunity for Harvard Undergraduate

Research Opportunity: Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Harvard School of Public Health

Student Employment Opportunity: Graduate Research Assistant, Harvard School of Public Health

New Brief: InBrief: Early Childhood Mental Health

Full-Time Employment Opportunity: Project Manager, Science of Health and Development Initiative

Internship Opportunity: Director's Internship, Harvard University Institute of Politics

Full-Time Employment Opportunity: Project Coordinator, Frontiers of Innovation

New Working Paper: The Science of Neglect: The Persistent Absence of Responsive Care Disrupts the Developing Brain

Faculty Spotlight: Theresa Betancourt: Studying the Effects of Global Adversity, Two Generations at a Time

Journal Features Center Affiliates' Work on Biology of Early Adversity

Internship Opportunity: Mapping Brain Connectivity

Boston Children's Hospital Videos Highlight Labs of Center Affiliates

When Brain Development Goes Awry

Opening Windows in the Brain

InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning

New Executive Function Training Module from Washington State Department of Early Learning

New Video: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning

Faculty Spotlight: Jordan Smoller

Media Coverage: New York Times Op-Ed Addresses Long-Term Negative Impact of Immigration Policy on Children

Full-Time Employment Opportunity: Assistant Director of Finance

New Center Initiative: The Science of Health and Development Initiative

2012-13 Julius B. Richmond Fellowships: Harvard Graduate Students Awarded Dissertation Research Grants

State Policy Collaboration: Innovation in Washington State

Executive Leadership Program: Brazilian Policymakers Convene at Harvard

Measuring Childhood Development in Zambia

HBO Films Show Impact of Early Development on Later Obesity

Student Opportunity: Volunteer Note Takers, Frontiers of Innovation

Student Opportunity: Internship, Frontiers of Innovation

Upcoming Lecture: Scaling Up Social Innovations in Developing Countries: Challenges, Lessons and Strategies (Thursday, 3/15/12, 4:30-6:30pm)

Scaling Up Social Innovations in Developing Countries: Challenges, Lessons and Strategies

Thursday, March 15, 2012 4:30-6:30pm

Media Coverage: AAP Reports on Toxic Stress Generate Wide Media Interest

Upcoming Web Event: The Forum at HSPH To Host Webcast on Toxic Stress

Global Pediatrics Article: New Scientific Knowledge Can Inform Innovative Global Strategies

American Academy of Pediatrics Calls for Action to Address Toxic Stress

American Academy of Pediatrics Calls for Action to Address Toxic Stress

Internship Opportunity: Brazil Early Childhood Development Initiative

Position Description

Required Education, Experience and Skills

Additional Qualifications

Media Coverage: The New York Times, "A Poverty Solution That Starts With a Hug"

Upcoming Lecture: "The Biology of Adversity and the Early Childhood Roots of Impairments in Learning, Behavior, and Health"

Tuesday, January 31, 2012; 6:30 p.m.

Job Opening: Center Deputy Director and Director, Finance and Administration

Media Coverage: Harvard Gazette Features Center-Affiliated Faculty Members

Distinguished Scholars Lecture Video: Lecture by Rockefeller University Scientist Now Online

Faculty Spotlight: Michelle Albert

Now Accepting Applications: Julius B. Richmond Fellowships

New Video Series: "Three Core Concepts in Early Development"

Video: Center Director Presents at NBC News' "Education Nation"

Upcoming Lecture: The Brain on Stress: How the Social Environment “Gets Under the Skin”

New Journal Articles

2011-2012 Julius B. Richmond Fellowships

Follow the Center on Twitter

USAID Brief on Early Childhood Development: Center's Global Team Consults on International Report

Frontiers of Innovation Convening: Workshop Forges Cross-Sector Connections

Media Coverage: NPR Highlights Research of Center Affiliate

Neurons to Neighborhoods Available for Purchase Through iTunes

New Video: Brain Hero

New Profile Highlights International Research by Center-Affiliated Faculty Member Günther Fink

InBrief Videos Now Available in Spanish

Scaling Up Social Innovations in Developing Countries:
Challenges, Lessons and Strategies

Thursday, March 15, 2012
4:30-6:30pm