Elena Grigorenko, PhD

Dr. Grigorenko’s primary interest is in understanding the co-contribution of genetic and environmental risk factors to the manifestation of developmental and learning disabilities in children. She is especially interested in how children with special needs, such as those infected with intestinal parasites or diagnosed with autism, succeed by capitalizing on their strengths. Her work in this area has contributed to the field’s general understanding of the flexibility and malleability of human development. Dr. Grigorenko’s use of diverse methodologies, ranging from molecular genetics to cultural studies, enriches the field and provides more opportunities for understanding how children grow and mature. These methodologies include family designs (both behavioral and molecular-genetic) and educational intervention designs. To illustrate, her ongoing studies include research on international adoptees brought to the U.S. early in life; a study of rates of learning disabilities in harsh developmental environments with high rates of illness, intoxication, and poverty; and research on interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors for conduct problems. She is especially interested in studying risk factors for language and mathematics disabilities, autism, and violent criminal behaviors in pre-adolescent children.

Specialized Terms: Psychology; Learning disabilities; Neuropsychiatric genetics

• Cognitive and linguistic adaptation of international adoptees in the US
• Learning disabilities in harsh developmental environments and their relation to infection, intoxication, and poverty in Africa
• Genes involved in language disorders in a genetically isolated population
• Genes involved in learning disabilities and cognitive processing, with special emphasis on studying minority samples in the US
• Interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors for conduct problems and the role of these factors in response to interventions in juvenile detainees