Jack P. Shonkoff, MD

Jack P. Shonkoff, MD, is the Founding Director of the Center on the Developing Child and a member of the Center’s Affiliated Faculty. After serving as Director for 18 years, he stepped down on June 30, 2024, to launch FirstPlace Partners, a Harvard-based initiative dedicated to advancing the application of early childhood science through community-informed, place-based action.

As the Julius B. Richmond FAMRI Professor of Child Health and Development, Dr. Shonkoff remains a senior member of Harvard University’s faculty, with tenured appointments at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Harvard Medical School.

FirstPlace Partners (launched in 2024 as Connecting Science and Community) works directly with neighborhood leaders and mission-driven organizations across sectors to connect advances in developmental science with lived experiences to improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Learn more about Dr. Shonkoff’s new initiative and stay up to date on new developments.