I am an Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University and the Director of the doctoral program in Developmental Science. My research focuses on the ways in which early life stress shapes the developing brain and biological stress systems, as well as neurodevelopmental mechanisms that link early life stress to child outcomes. We study development of children here in Boston, and also children in low- and middle-income countries. Using measures of the stress hormone cortisol from hair and saliva, we investigate how socio-contextual factors get “under the skin,” shaping children’s capacity to regulate biological stress. Using electroencephalogram (EEG) measures, we identify patterns of brain activity that predict socio-emotional and cognitive functioning in early childhood and examine how social contexts influence EEG activity. One aim of our research is to understand why some children who experience early life stress are resilient and fare quite well, whereas others have enduring developmental challenges. Another key aim is to assess the impact of pediatric and public health interventions using EEG and cortisol biomarkers. Prior to joining the Developmental Science Program here at BU, I completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Developmental Neuroscience and Behavior at Columbia University. I received my Ph.D. from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota.