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Alissa Huth-Bocks, Ph.D.

Dr. Huth-Bocks conducts longitudinal studies with caregivers during the transition to parenthood to better understand how parental characteristics, as well as psychosocial conditions, affect the adjustment to parenthood and early childhood development.  Her studies have examined the impact of several risk factors, such as exposure to interpersonal violence, parental mental health and substance use disorders, and poverty on the parent-child relationship with a focus on mechanisms that help explain the intergenerational transmission of trauma. This research has led to the examination of prevention and early intervention programs aimed at mitigating risks and preventing early childhood psychopathology. Dr. Huth-Bocks enjoys collaborative and interdisciplinary team science that helps inform efforts at improving child and family wellness and resilience, especially among diverse families living in urban settings. 

Olivenne Skinner, Ph.D.

Dr. Skinner studies academic achievement and gender development in black youth, including impacts of race and gender on school motivation and family relationships. Her recent papers examine the associations between parental relationship dynamics and child outcomes, including sibling and parent-child relationships in African American families. Most recently, Dr. Skinner and her colleague Dr. Vanessa Volpe won the Emotional Well-being and Health Data Analysis Award funded by the NIH Emotional Well-being and Stress Measurement Network. Their research will examine associations between state-level racial inequities and Black adolescent's obesity risk. 

Sarah Raz, Ph.D.

Dr. Raz's area of research is developmental neuropsychology, with a focus on the effects of adverse events occurring during pregnancy and delivery on the cognitive, behavioral, and neuropsychological outcome of the newborn. Through the study of the influence of birth asphyxia, intrauterine growth retardation, neonatal respiratory distress, and other early insults on outcome, knowledge is gained about brain vulnerability and resilience during early developmental periods

Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute Report 2021/2022
Editor : Cheryl Deep
Designer: Catherine Blasio