Thesis Abstract

This longitudinal project examines within a gender-balanced, racially and socioeconomically diverse community sample the enduring effects of childhood adversity as well as resilience in those with varying histories of poverty, violence, and other forms of stressful adversity. The study responds to calls prioritizing contextual risk, cumulative stress burden, and neurobiology in studying childhood development and in strengthening preventive practices attentive to stress impacts. Findings hold strong implications for early prevention and tailored interventions, in addition to advancing theories of biopsychosocial development.

Thesis Overview