The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

The Brain Architects

Education EN ↓ 31 episodes

On The Brain Architects from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, we explore emerging science in early childhood development and strategies and policy solutions for supporting young children and their caregivers. We examine how the conditions where children live, grow, play, and learn shape their development, lifelong physical and mental health, and well-being. This includes a child’s environment of relationships and influences from their broader environment, such as access to clean air, safe drinking water, the availability of safe, stable housing, and more. Recognizing t...

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The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

Episodes

Place Matters 29.01.2025 54:54

In June, we hosted a webinar about our latest Working Paper, Place Matters: The Environment We Create Shapes the Foundations of Healthy Development , which examines how a wide range of conditions in the places where children live, grow, play, and learn can shape how children develop. The paper examines the many ways in which the built and natural environment surrounding a child can affect their de...

A New Lens on Poverty: Working Towards Fairness of Place in the United States 29.01.2025 58:51

In the fall of 2023, we kicked off our three-part Place Matters webinar series with our first installment: “A New Lens on Poverty: Working Towards Fairness of Place in the United States.” The webinar discussion featured the work of Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP, whose research uncovered the water crisis in Flint, H. Luke Shaefer, PhD, co-author of the new book The Injustice of Place: Uncoverin...

Understanding Racism's Impact on Child Development: Working Towards Fairness of Place in the United States 29.01.2025 58:03

In December 2023, we continued our Place Matters webinar series with our second installment: “Understanding Racism’s Impact on Child Development: Working Towards Fairness of Place in the United States.” During the webinar, Stephanie Curenton, PhD, Nathaniel Harnett, PhD, Mavis Sanders, PhD, and Natalie Slopen, ScD, discussed their latest research, exploring how racism gets “under the skin” to impa...

A Place to Play: Moving Towards Fairness of Place for All Children 29.01.2025 46:33

In March 2024, we continued our Place Matters webinar series with our third installment: “A Place to Play: Moving Towards Fairness of Place for All Children.” During the webinar, we explored the power of play in supporting early childhood development, as well as the importance of ensuring that children and caregivers have access to safe green spaces, like parks and playgrounds. Our panel of expert...

A Cascade of Impacts: A Discussion on the Ways Water Affects Early Childhood Health & Well-being 29.01.2025 57:25

In October 2024, we hosted a webinar where we explored the science from our latest working paper, A Cascade of Impacts: The Many Ways Water Affects Child Development . The discussion was led by the Center’s Chief Science Officer, Lindsey Burghardt, MD, MPH, FAAP, and featured Devon Payne-Sturges, DrPH, Associate Professor with the Department of Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health at the...

Extreme Heat & Early Childhood Development: A Discussion on Rising Temperatures and Strategies for Supporting Development and Lifelong Health 15.01.2025 52:30

In April 2024, we hosted a webinar where we explored the science from our latest working paper, Extreme Heat Affects Early Childhood Development and Health . The Center’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Lindsey Burghardt, joined by Dr. Kari Nadeau, Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, brought the latest research and insights from the field to d...