YCSC Connections
Featuring updates, news you can use, events, and more from the Yale Child Study Center.
Chair's Message
To say it has been a busy close to the academic year would be an understatement, as is evident by the great deal of news shared in this month’s newsletter, which serves as the June/July edition for this year. More good news will be shared on our website in July, including introductions to many new trainees and other community members, and included in the August edition of the newsletter.
It is a time of both transition and celebration for many, and our department is no exception – this past Friday, we had the joy of celebrating 40 trainees graduating from across eight YCSC training programs – and next week, we will welcome many new trainees to our community, in addition to several undergraduate summer interns who joined us in early June. Last month, we came together to recognize long-term service to the university – and this week, we are celebrating community-selected awardees and marking retirements.
All of this and more is outlined in more detail in the articles linked below, including a sampling of the incredible work that has been underway by some of our faculty, staff, and trainees – not to mention the new webpage that was launched just this month to improve access to research participation opportunities – many of which include clinical services – for children and families. Learn more in the announcement below – and please do be sure to enjoy some restful time with loved ones this summer.
Linda Mayes, MD
Arnold Gesell Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology; Chair
Yale Child Study Center
Departmental News & Updates
“On Leadership”— A look back over the past year
In the latest Yale Child Study Center “On Leadership” blog post and newsletter column, Daryn David, PhD reflects on the 2023-24 academic year as it comes to a close. There will be a pause in blog posts for the summer, with a return to the column in September.
24 Jun 2024Yale Child Study Center Staff Spotlight June 2024
In the latest edition of a spotlight series launched in early 2023 to feature integrated business operations (IBO) and administration staff, meet YCSC Financial Assistant IV Belinda E. Oliver, who is also a trained marriage and family therapist. She is leaving Yale this summer to pursue her work at CT Counseling Center in Cheshire and has been a part of the YCSC community for over 30 years.
31 May 2024Honoring YCSC faculty & staff for long-term service at Yale
The Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) community came together via Zoom on May 29, 2024 to recognize long-term service to the university. Forty-eight community members were honored for their respective years of service at Yale, from 5 up to 45 years.
31 May 2024Welcoming two of the newest YCSC community members this spring
The Yale Child Study Center welcomes new community members on an on-going basis. Meet two of the latest additions to the department this spring: Ilenia Gori in the Sukhodolsky and Ibrahim labs and Alexandra Brizuela at the Center for Emotional Intelligence.
20 Jun 2024Yale Child Study Center welcomes 2024 summer interns
On June 3, 2024, the YCSC welcomed 17 undergraduate students from 11 universities and colleges around the country as participants in the center’s developmental science summer internship program.
10 Jun 2024Forty trainees recognized at annual Yale Child Study Center graduation event
The Yale Child Study Center honored forty trainees in the class of 2024 at an annual departmental commencement event on June 21, 2024. YCSC Professor Michael Bloch delivered a keynote speech, and the event was followed by a reception for graduates and their families.
25 Jun 2024YCSC committees organize internal events and community volunteering opportunities
The Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) network and outreach committee has been busy planning and coordinating both internal events and community-based volunteering opportunities in the greater New Haven area this year. Learn more about how this committee was formed and some of the events that have been planned.
18 Jun 2024The Heritage & Legacy Project: An intersection of the arts & mental health
YCSC Assistant Professor of Child Psychiatry Ayotunde Ayobello, MD delivered a special Grand Rounds lecture in May as part of the center’s Max Ritvo ’13 and Alan B. Slifka ’51 Program for the Medical Humanities. Following this session, in which he outlined his journey as an artist and a psychiatrist, his 6x4 foot oil painting titled “Heritage and Legacy" was officially unveiled.
13 Jun 2024Brothers for Change: Impactful Mental Health Workshops for Local Black Youth
Christian Edwards, a YCSC second-year social work fellow, launched a groundbreaking collaboration between the center and Dixwell Q House in April 2024, through a new mental health workshop series titled Brothers for Change.
17 Jun 2024April 2024 YCSC Faculty Development Fund awardees announced
The results of the most recent round of awards for the Yale Child Study Center Clinical and Research Faculty Development Fund were announced on June 1, 2024 . The annual fund supports clinical and research faculty with a primary appointment at the YCSC, to provide start-up funds to develop research, educational, and clinical efforts that will contribute to faculty growth and development.
4 Jun 2024Inaugural YCSC postdoctoral scholar travel awardees announced
The results of the inaugural Yale Child Study Center postdoctoral scholar travel award were announced on June 17, 2024. This new annual opportunity offers awards of up to $1000 each to reimburse and/or contribute to the costs associated with attending and/or presenting research at national and international academic scientific conferences.
24 Jun 2024Bonomi, Lee, Abdallah Honored with Lustman Award
YCSC Clinical Fellow Sarah Abdallah was one of three Yale trainees named as 2024 recipients of the Lustman Award for Psychiatric Research through the Department of Psychiatry.
28 May 202415 Faculty Selected as 2024 - 2025 Education Scholar Fellows
YCSC faculty members Tara Davila, Pam Hoffman, and Veronica Meneses were among 15 Yale School of Medicine (YSM) faculty accepted into the inaugural class of the Education Scholar Fellowship (ESF).
7 Jun 2024Yuen Honored with Rieger Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Award
Assistant Professor Eunice Yuen was chosen to receive the 2024 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Rieger Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Award.
11 Jun 2024Pattabiraman receives award from the Deeda Blair Research Initiative for Disorders of the Brain
YCSC Assistant Professor Kartik Pattabiraman was recently selected as a research award recipient through the Deeda Blair Research Initiative for Disorders of the Brain for his proposal to develop CRISPR-based epigenetic editing interventions for schizophrenia.
Source: FNIH25 Jun 2024Words for Change: Yale students join global call to launch a new humanism
Yale faculty and students respond to a call for ideas by renowned Italian singer-songwriter Giovanni Caccamo for a global book project on the power of youth to drive positive change.
15 May 2024Creativity: A vital component of personal well-being
In celebration of World Creativity & Innovation Day 2024, the BIC Corporate Foundation and the International Society for the Study of Creativity and Innovation released a “Creativity in Education Research Report” featuring research from 44 researchers across 22 countries, including Dr. Jessica Hoffmann’s studies on enhancing secondary students' social-emotional learning and exploring effective cognitive reappraisal techniques among adolescents, underscoring the importance of creativity in education and well-being.
22 May 2024Understanding feelings: A gift in early childhood and beyond
Craig Bailey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Child Study Center and Director of Early Childhood Initiatives at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, delivered the keynote address to early childhood leaders and practitioners at the 2024 Partner Powered Conference for Social and Emotional Learning, held on April 25, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. This conference emphasizes the importance of early childhood education and evidence-based practices for fostering social and emotional development, Dr. Bailey highlighted the need for adults to understand and communicate their own emotions to better support children.
22 May 2024Yale researchers present: Psychology, creativity, & emotional intelligence
At the 2024 APA Division 10 conference, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence researchers Drs. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, Jessica Hoffmann, and Yifei Pei presented their work on creativity research, self-regulation, and curiosity, offering practical guidance and new insights into the emotional dynamics and self-perception in creative pursuits, and contributing significantly to the event's focus on psychology, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
22 May 2024
Featured Video
What Parents Should Know About Motor Stereotypies
Credits: Yale School of MedicineMotor stereotypies are rhythmic, repetitive movements, often developing in early childhood. Everyone engages in motor stereotypies to some extent, from tapping their legs to biting their nails. This short video explains the difference between these common movements from complex motor stereotypies in children, which can occur in those with autism or during typical development. Intervention is not always needed, but understanding motor stereotypies can be helpful in understanding a child's development trajectory. Learn more about the research underway in this area, and how to participate in a related study at the Yale Child Study Center. For more information, visit https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/chawarska.
Upcoming Special Events
- Jul 202411Thursday
Discussion Series for Parents of Neurodiverse Children: "Play is a Human Right!"
Speaker: Marcia Questel
- Jul 202415-16Multiple Days
Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: Pathway to Educator Well-Being and Engagement
Speakers: Marc A. Brackett, Karen Niemi
- Jul 202426Friday
YCSC Undergraduate Developmental Science Summer Internship Poster Symposium
Yale Child Study Center
- Aug 20248Thursday
Discussion Series for Parents of Neurodiverse Children
Helping Siblings Play Together
Speaker: Marcia Questel
- Sep 202419Thursday
Yale Child Study Center Open House
News You Can Use
Participate in research: New resource for families and practitioners
A new webpage has been launched at the Yale Child Study Center to allow families and referring practitioners – and soon school-based personnel – to view and access more than 30 research participation opportunities at the center.
21 Jun 2024Family Psychiatric History: Effects on Siblings of Children With Autism
A study conducted by YCSC professor Katarzyna Chawarska and colleagues suggests that children who have an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (autism) are at greater risk of developmental vulnerabilities if they also have other relatives with neurodevelopmental or psychiatric conditions.
19 Jun 2024Is ‘Mommy Brain’ Real? What Happens to Your Mind and Body When You Become a Mom
YCSC Postdoctoral Associate Edwina Orchard is quoted in this Time article on the effects of motherhood on the mind and body, with reference to some of the work being done in the Before and After Baby Lab (BABL) led by Associate Professor Helena Rutherford.
Source: Time15 May 2024Help Children Build Resilience to Face Life’s Challenges
In this piece for Psychology Today, YCSC Chair Linda Mayes addresses how stories can operate as a tool for developing empathy and emotional intelligence.
Source: Psychology Today20 May 2024Everyday Communication - Part 1
In the latest Social and Affective Neuroscience of Autism (SANA) blog post, the first in a four-part series, social worker and speech and language pathologist Megan Lyons offers a multitude of tips for utilizing everyday activities to promote communication at home. In this first part, she discusses tips for helping children with imitation skills.
20 May 2024Everyday Communication - Part 2
In the latest SANA blog post, the second in a four-part series, social worker and speech and language pathologist Megan Lyons offers a multitude of tips for utilizing everyday activities to promote communication at home. In this second part, she discusses tips for helping children with turn-taking skills. Check out part one for tips for helping children with imitation skills!
21 Jun 2024More Than Meets the Eye: Understanding How the Brain Controls Social Gaze
A new study uncovers two brain regions that control short- and long-term social gaze behavior, which could inform therapies for disorders like autism.
Source: Yale News31 May 2024Seven Ways to Be an Emotionally Intelligent Leader
In this Greater Good Magazine article, YCSC Associate Research Scientist Robin Stern and co-authors address how emotional intelligence skills can improve well-being and lead to being a better leader. Stern also serves as associate directer for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
Source: Greater Good Magazine5 Jun 2024Health Impacts of Caffeine Overuse in Youth | Psychology Today
Cases of fatal cardiotoxicity from caffeine are otherwise extremely rare. Moderating use, factoring in any medical, mental health, and family medical history one has, is pivotal to whether intake becomes positively adaptive or risky for one’s health.
Source: Psychology Today11 Jun 2024Opinion: Will 'Inside Out 2' be bad therapy or good for youth? Yale researchers weigh in
In this Opinion piece for the New Haven Register, YCSC Associate Professor Chris Cipriano and members of her team at the the Education Collaboratory address the popularity of the "Inside Out 2" movie trailer in advance of the film's release and how this relates to emotion science.
Source: New Haven Register13 Jun 2024Opinion: How to improve the emotional well-being of Black students
In this op-ed, Dr. Zi Jia Ng discusses how by reframing how educators react in difficult situations, they can help ensure Black students feel and do better in school.
Source: K-12 Dive13 Jun 2024
Upcoming Grand Rounds
Presented in the Cohen Auditorium on Tuesdays from September through June with a live stream available via Zoom, YCSC Grand Rounds sessions have ended for the academic year and will resume in September. Mark your calendar for the following session, which was unfortunately interrupted and ended rather abruptly on June 11 due to technical difficulties and widespread network issues across campus. The session has been rescheduled for December 3, 2024.
In the Media
Mental Health Awareness Month: Born This Way Foundation
YCSC Assistant Clinical Professor Claudia-Santi Fernandes joined News 8 at Noon during Mental Health Awareness Month this May to talk about a partnership between the Born This Way Foundation and Hamden Public Schools to encourage students to earn their "Be There" Certificate. Fernandes talked more about the certificate and why peer-to-peer support is so important.
Source: WTNH News 823 May 2024Are you exercising good judgment or being judgy?
Drs. Robin Stern and Marc Brackett from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence explore the nuances between exercising good judgment and being judgmental. Read on to discover effective strategies for how we can manage interactions with judgmental people while recognizing these tendencies in ourselves.
Source: The Washington Post7 Jun 2024Five Practices for a Healthier Emotional Life
YCSC Professor Marc Brackett, who also serves as the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, was quoted in this article in Greater Good Magazine, addressing how anxiety -- and other negatively associated emotions -- can serve a purpose.
Source: Greater Good Magazine13 Jun 2024School’s Out. Time for a Social Media Reset
Marc Potenza, MD, PhD, Steven M. Southwick Professor of Psychiatry and professor in the Child Study Center and of neuroscience, spoke to The New York Times for a story about using summer to reset family social media rules.
Source: The New York Times18 Jun 2024