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Child & Brain Development

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How do childhood experiences affect lifelong health?

The Child & Brain Development program examines the effect of the early environment on the lifelong trajectory going from childhood to old age of physical, mental and social health and wellbeing. Over the past decade, program members including biologists, psychologists, and medical doctors have transformed our understanding of the interplay between nature and nurture, and discovered important insights into the biological underpinnings of our early childhood experiences.


IMPACT CLUSTERS

The Child & Brain Development program is part of the following CIFAR Impact Clusters: Building Thriving Societies; Decoding Complex Brains and Data; Exploring Emerging Technologies and Shaping the Future of Human Health. CIFAR’s research programs are organized into 5 distinct Impact Clusters that address significant global issues and are committed to fostering an environment in which breakthroughs emerge.


RESEARCH AND SOCIETAL IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS

Analysis of learning loss during COVID
CIFAR Fellow Daniel Ansari (Western University) and Co-Director Candice Odgers (University of California, Irvine) have made major contributions at the intersection of child learning, big data and inequality through an analysis of learning loss during COVID. These researchers have developed a partnership with AMIRA Learning to leverage assessments of children’s early reading, providing access to large volumes of high-resolution data on children’s early learning, and opening up avenues for improved in-home data collection.

The impact of early childhood experiences and exposures on long-term health
Researchers from the Child & Brain Development and Humans & the Microbiome programs collaborated to develop new methodologies to assess the impact of early childhood experiences and exposures on long-term health. Through new collection and integration methods of biological, behavioral and sociological data, they have recruited participants remotely for projects such as the Baby Teeth Study, which measured substance levels in children’s teeth to assess which substances children have come into contact with throughout their development. This remote collection approach is an inclusive one as it allows researchers to reach children from diverse backgrounds and locations, including rural, remote and Indigenous communities, compared to onsite collection approaches.

Path to Societal Impact

We invite experts in industry, civil society, healthcare and government to join fellows in our Child & Brain Development program for in-depth, cross-sectoral conversations that drive change and innovation.

Public policy leaders in early childhood and health and CIFAR fellows in the Child & Brain Development program are developing effective public policies and intervention programs that address health disparities and improve children’s development, health, and well-being.

Areas of focus:

  • Examining the compounding effects of multiple early adversities on children
  • Exploring opportunities for effective policy interventions
  • Ensuring intervention programs are tailored to the needs of diverse communities 

Founded

2003

Renewal Dates

2007, 2012, 2019, 2025

Partners

Genome British Columbia

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Developmental, molecular and evolutionary biology
Behavioural genetics
Epigenetics
Cognitive and developmental neuroscience
Biological, cognitive and developmental psychology
Psychiatry
Biological anthropology
Epidemiology

CIFAR Contact

Rachel Parker

Fellows & Advisors

Program Directors

Thomas McDade

Thomas McDade

Program Co-Director

Child & Brain Development
Northwestern University
United States
Candice Odgers

Candice Odgers

Program Co-Director

Child & Brain Development
University of California Irvine
United States

Fellows

Daniel Ansari

Daniel Ansari

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
Western University
Canada
Daniel Belsky

Daniel Belsky

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
Columbia University
United States
Staci Bilbo

Staci Bilbo

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
Duke University
United States
Elisabeth Binder

Elisabeth Binder

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
Germany
Brian Dias

Brian Dias

Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2017-2019

Child & Brain Development
University of Southern California
United States
Paul Frankland

Paul Frankland

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
Hospital for Sick Children
Canada
Anna Goldenberg

Anna Goldenberg

Fellow
Canada CIFAR AI Chair

Child & Brain Development
Pan-Canadian AI Strategy
Hospital for Sick Children
University of Toronto
Vector Institute
Canada
Michael S. Kobor

Michael S. Kobor

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
University of British Columbia
Canada
Sara Mostafavi

Sara Mostafavi

Fellow
International Scientific Advisory Committee member
CIFAR Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy Leadership

Child & Brain Development
University of Washington
United States
Kieran O'Donnell

Kieran O'Donnell

Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2016-2018

Child & Brain Development
Yale University
Canada
Shwetak Patel

Shwetak Patel

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
University of Washington
United States
Jim Rehg

Jim Rehg

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
United States
Marla B. Sokolowski

Marla B. Sokolowski

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
University of Toronto
Canada
Silvia Stringhini

Silvia Stringhini

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
Jenny Tung

Jenny Tung

Fellow

Child & Brain Development
Duke University
United States

Advisors

Andrea Danese

Andrea Danese

Advisory Committee Chair

Child & Brain Development
Alison Gopnik

Alison Gopnik

Fellow
Advisor

Child & Brain Development
Learning in Machines & Brains
University of California Berkeley
United States
Ulman Lindenberger

Ulman Lindenberger

Advisor

Child & Brain Development
Max Planck Institute for Human Development
Germany

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars

Natalie Hiromi Brito

Natalie Hiromi Brito

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2022-2024

Child & Brain Development
New York University
United States
Brian Dias

Brian Dias

Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2017-2019

Child & Brain Development
University of Southern California
United States
Amanda Lea

Amanda Lea

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2022-2024

Child & Brain Development
Vanderbilt University
United States
Allyson Mackey

Allyson Mackey

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2020-2022

Child & Brain Development
University of Pennsylvania
United States
Kieran O'Donnell

Kieran O'Donnell

Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2016-2018

Child & Brain Development
Yale University
Canada
Nadine Provençal

Nadine Provençal

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2020-2022

Child & Brain Development
Simon Fraser University
Canada
Danielle Roubinov

Danielle Roubinov

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2022-2024

Child & Brain Development
University of California San Francisco
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
United States
Tomás Ryan

Tomás Ryan

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2020-2022

Child & Brain Development
Trinity College Dublin
Ireland
Samuel Urlacher

Samuel Urlacher

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2020-2022

Child & Brain Development
Baylor University
United States

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