We are excited to welcome eight new faculty and three new instructional staff to campus this fall. Each department will add at least two faculty or instructional staff members, bringing a wealth of expertise and …
Human Development & Family Studies
Creating moments of connection: Meet child development advocate Alex Rogers ’12
Alex Rogers is led by an unrelenting North Star with a clear mission: Improve children’s lives. A force of positive change, Alex brings her passions to the forefront in her role at Reach Out and …
Researcher Spotlights: Sigan Hartley, Human Development & Family Studies professor
Researcher Spotlights are Q&As that shine a light on School of Human Ecology faculty members’ unique scholarship and research interests. Sigan Hartley is the 100 Women Distinguished Chair in Human Ecology and a professor of …
Madison project helps Black women gain financial literacy, wealth (Wisconsin State Journal; Halpern-Meekin and Harvey)
Human Development & Family Studies Professor Sarah Halpern-Meekin and Consumer Science Assistant Professor Melody Harvey discuss how racial disparities in wealth accumulation are systemic and have long-lasting consequences that prevent people from building financial safety nets.
What do fathers need to be successful? (Wisconsin Public Radio; Kerr)
Human Development & Family Studies Assistant Professor Margaret Kerr explains the findings of the Wisconsin Statewide Fatherhood Needs Assessment, which surveyed 35 Wisconsin fathers about what they feel they need to be successful and healthy parents. The assessment was conducted through the UW–Madison Division of Extension.
Why are gorillas so good at dealing with early life trauma? (Wisconsin Public Radio; Navsaria)
Human Development & Family Studies Clinical Associate Professor Dipesh Navsaria discusses adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how these relate to new research showing that gorillas, unlike other primates and long-lived mammals, do not seem to have long-term negative outcomes after experiencing trauma early in life.
When nothing else works: Could psychoactive substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine finally crack the code on treatment-resistant depression, anxiety or PTSD? (Madison Magazine; Raison)
Human Development & Family Studies Professor Charles Raison explains how psilocybin is becoming a promising tool in the treatment of depression.
Margaret Kerr receives 2023 Distinguished Teaching Award
Margaret Kerr, assistant professor of Human Development & Family Studies, was selected to receive a 2023 Distinguished Teaching Award. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Provost Karl Scholz presented Kerr with the Emil Steiger Teaching Award at a …
How inflammation in the body may explain depression in the brain (The Washington Post; Raison)
Professor Charles Raison provides insight into how inflammation in the body can be an unexpected contributor to depression. Also shared by Yahoo! News, the Seattle Times, and several other media outlets.
Weight loss may be early predictor of Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome (UW News; Hartley and Fleming)
Professor Sigan Hartley and graduate student Victoria Fleming describe the results of their study, which found that unintentional weight loss in people with Down syndrome may predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease long before typical cognitive symptoms show up. Also shared by Public News Time and EurekAlert!.