Scientific Councils

Our scientific councils bring together experts from a variety of academic disciplines, professional fields, and organizations, all of whom are committed to collaborating to improve our understanding of how influences from the developmental environment affect early childhood development and lifelong health.

While each council has its own membership and area of focus, they are all grounded in the biological and social sciences and employ similar strategies to integrate the rapidly growing knowledge base related to early childhood development in clear, actionable terms.

Our councils thoroughly analyze and synthesize the science related to a particular topic. They assess existing research from a range of disciplines to draw evidence-based conclusions and identify related strategies for supporting healthy development. They work to illuminate the body of knowledge around a topic, not just the latest study.  

Ultimately, we aim to leverage this scientific knowledge—along with community-informed perspectives—to help policymakers, community leaders, and changemakers across a range of sectors mobilize around a shared prenatal and early childhood perspective that is rooted in understanding the causal story of development and working toward providing healthy developmental environments for all children, with particular attention to racially marginalized and under-invested communities. In addition to early care and education, this includes sectors like urban planning, environmental protection, housing, and climate change that have not previously been considered key actors in the early childhood ecosystem—yet whose actions (or inaction) have significant impacts on the early foundations of lifelong health and well-being.