Michael Meaney discusses the long-lasting effects of childhood experiences
If we want to help children succeed and thrive so that they can reach their full potential, we need to understand their mental, biological, and emotional needs.
Join Sean Sanders, Director and Senior Editor for Custom Publishing at Science, as he interviews outstanding researchers in a broad range of fields whose work either directly involves the study of children and adolescents or has a significant impact in their lives. Each interviewee is also the recipient of the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize, awarded by the Jacobs Foundation, that recognizes exceptional achievements in the field of child and youth development.
Episode 6: How do genes and environment interact?
Can negative events in childhood modify our DNA? What do we know about the remarkable differences in individual reactions to stress? Is it possible to determine a child’s capacity for resilience by looking at their biology?
Listen in as Sean finds out the answers to these questions and more with today’s guest, Michael Meaney.
Michael Meaney is the James McGill Professor of Medicine at Douglas Mental Health University Institute of McGill University and a senior investigator at the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, leading their Integrative Neuroscience Programme. His primary interest is in studying how experiences in childhood, particularly the type and amount of caring provided by mothers, can be carried in our DNA into adulthood.