Research questions

We investigate how early experiences shape psychological risk and resilience within and across generations. We are especially interested in developmental stages when the brain is highly sensitive to environmental input, including pregnancy, the fetal period, and infancy. Below are some research questions we are currently working on.

stress-related risk + stress-adapted skills

Stress increases risk for psychiatric illnesses like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Yet many people exposed to high stress do not become depressed or anxious, and many stress-exposed people develop key skills that help them navigate difficult environments. Why do some people to become ill and others remain healthy in a stressful context? And what are the strengths that develop because someone has overcome difficult circumstances?

pregnancy dynamics

Pregnancy is an incredibly dynamic period of development, but many of our traditional research methods fail to capture important day-to-day changes during this time. We are trying to leverage novel tools to understand how a person's experiences change across pregnancy, and determine how these dynamics influence mothers and their children. How does the patterning of psychosocial experiences across pregnancy shape maternal wellbeing? Do babies develop differently when pregnancy experiences are predictable vs. unpredictable?

baby brains

Early brain development is an astonishing feat. Over the course of months, two cells transform into an entire, functioning nervous system. But we still know very little about how the brain first gets wired up. How do prenatal and early postnatal environments shape the developing brain? And to what extent do foundations of neural circuitry constrain future brain development and child behavior? How does functional circuitry change across the birth transition?

Publications

Funding