This Q&A interview with Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff focuses on the issue of toxic stress. Toxic stress refers to what occurs when the body’s stress response system is activated for long periods of time—by such triggers as recurrent abuse, chronic neglect or prolonged exposure to violence—without being able to calm down and return to baseline. As the brain is developing during a child’s early years, it is very sensitive to stress hormones, Dr. Shonkoff explains, and their chronic elevation can damage developing brain circuitry, with lifelong consequences for the individual and for society. The interview was conducted by Karen Weintraub.

In this news feature from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), Marge Dwyer describes a recent review of studies led by Erin Dunn, who is a former Julius B. Richmond Fellow at the Center on the Developing Child and a current postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Dunn’s review sought to shed light on how genetic and environmental factors combine to influence the development of childhood depression. Her co-authors included Center-affiliated faculty member Jordan W. Smoller, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and MGH.

Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff discusses the impact of early childhood toxic stress on adult health in the January 23 EdCast, a weekly podcast interview conducted by Matthew Weber at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In the 14-minute interview, Shonkoff addresses the recent American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on toxic stress, emphasizing the need for a new generation of interventions that not only identify risk factors but also build protection against their physiological consequences.