Harvesting findings from two birth-cohort studies from Quebec: early developmental trajectories, gene-environment interplay, and their significance for prevention.

SYNOPSIS

The presentation will provide an overview of findings from two ongoing longitudinal studies from Quebec, including the Quebec Newborn Twin Study. Starting at birth, these studies have followed more than 3000 children over 20+ years. The findings will illustrate the need to adopt an early and life-long developmental perspective, and the usefulness of a bio-social model to describe the dynamic interplay between nature and nurture in development. Specifically, we will document the extent to which children’ social-emotional and learning trajectories are established very early, and how biology and experience shape these trajectories through a variety of early child and family risk factors, as well as through appropriate early education and care services. Finally, we will discuss the implications of these findings for prevention, education, and public policies.

Tuesday 19 March, 12:30 – 1:30 pm, Ella Latham Auditorium (Flyer)

Professor Michel Boivin

Professor Michel Boivin is the Canadian Research Chair in Child Development and Professor of Psychology at the School of Psychology, Laval University (Quebec city, Canada), where he leads the Groupe de recherche sur l’inadaptation psychosociale (GRIP). He leads a program of research on the biological, psychological, and social underpinnings of child development. This program of research is mainly anchored to large population-based longitudinal studies of children, such as the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (2000 single-born children and their families) and the Quebec Newborn Twin Study (600 families of twins), two birth cohorts with now more than 20 years of follow-up.