YCSC Connections
Featuring updates, news you can use, events, and more from the Yale Child Study Center.
Chair's Message
Here we are again, amid a bustling winter holiday season in Connecticut and another new calendar year around the corner. As we look ahead to 2024, I would like to express my gratitude to all members and supporters of our Child Study Center community, working tirelessly throughout the year to improve the lives of children and families. The dedication of our faculty, staff, trainees, and associates is truly remarkable. A quick glance at the snapshot of work underway just this past month via the news and updates in this newsletter provides a clear picture of that dedication. This in the face of some very challenging times, to say the least – and I do hope that you will all have the opportunity for some respite over these next few weeks as the serenity of the season takes hold. Indeed, wishing you all joyful holidays and a healthy new year.
Linda Mayes, MD
Arnold Gesell Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology; Chair
Yale Child Study Center
Holiday Greetings
Seasons greetings and happiest of holidays from the Yale Child Study Center!
Departmental News & Updates
Dr. James Comer On Life and Leadership: Looking Ahead to Fuller Inclusion
In the latest edition of the YCSC “On Leadership” blog post and newsletter column, Daryn David, PhD shares part two of an interview with James P. Comer, MD, MPH. In the first portion shared in October, he talked about how his early life experiences laid the groundwork for his leadership practices – in part two, he brings his past experiences to light in the context of today, and the future.
13 Dec 2023Yale Child Study Center Staff Spotlight December 2023
In the latest edition of a spotlight series launched in February, meet Yale Child Study Center Assistant Administrator Kristy Grondzik, who has been working in a post award manager role at Yale for 18 years.
11 Dec 2023Education Collaboratory Team Member Spotlight: Dr. Almut Zieher
Alongside the launch of the Education Collaboratory in July 2023, we will be spotlighting the dedicated team members of the lab, highlighting their research and what brings them to this work. Today’s spotlight: Associate Research Scientist, Dr. Almut Zieher.
1 Dec 2023Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Appoints Karen Niemi as Executive Director
The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI) proudly announces the appointment of Karen Niemi as its executive director, effective December 1, 2023.
27 Nov 2023Rose to receive ADAA Emerging Leader Award
YCSC Postgraduate Associate Anastasia Rose has been selected to receive a 2024 ADAA Emerging Leader Award at next year’s annual Anxiety & Depression Association of America conference.
21 Nov 2023Clinical Case Conference Series on Black Youth Mental Health Launched at Yale
Directed by YCSC Chief Resident and Child Psychiatry Fellow Amanda J. Calhoun, MD, MPH, a new first of its kind Black Youth Mental Health Clinical Case Conference Series is being launched in January. Six mental health clinical case conferences will be held in person from January through June 2024.
20 Nov 2023Rigor, Relevance, & Reality: Education Collaboratory at Yale Advancing SEL Science & Practice
In July 2023, YCSC Assistant Professor Christina Cipriano, PhD, together with her colleagues and collaborators, launched a new, independent research lab, the Education Collaboratory at Yale. The lab is committed to advancing the science and practice of social and emotional learning in schools worldwide. In this Q&A, Cipriano shares some insight into her journey and about her team’s work.
17 Nov 2023December 2023 Job Opportunities: Yale Child Study Center
View the latest opportunities for talented individuals seeking to improve the lives of children and families through research, service, and training at the Yale Child Study Center.
12 Dec 2023
Upcoming Special Events
Everyone Child Study Center Undergraduate Summer Internship Information Session
Join one of three informational sessions offered via Zoom on the following dates and times to learn more about the YCSC developmental science internship program and application process.
Yale Only Daryn David, PhDYCSC Postdoc Seminar Series: Navigating Difficult Conversations
The YCSC Postdoc seminar series is back with a 3-part Professional Development series!
Led by Dr. Daryn David, the focus will be on skills critical to professional development.
All sessions will be held on Zoom https://yale.zoom.us/j/98998845957
Everyone Amanda Calhoun, MD/MPH - Howard Stevenson, PhD - Carolyn Roberts, PhD - Terrell Holloway, MDBlack Youth Mental Health Clinical Case Conference Series at Yale Child Study Center
Session 1 of 6
The YCSC is pleased to host an inaugural Black Youth Mental Health Clinical Case Conference Series, directed by Chief Resident & Child Psychiatry Fellow Amanda J. Calhoun, MD, MPH. Six mental health clinical case conferences will be held in-person from January through June 2024. Invited expert discussants, from within Yale and beyond, will weigh in on complex clinical cases involving Black youth presented by YCSC trainees. At the January session, Dr. Calhoun will present and the expert discussants will be Dr. Howard Stevenson, Dr. Carolyn Roberts, and Dr. Terrell Holloway. Dinner will be provided and registration is required for each case conference. There is no requirement to attend all sessions; participants can register for the sessions individually.
Everyone All DayMarcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS - Megan V. Smith, DrPH, MPH - Clara Blustein Lindholm2024 Riggs-Yale Conference: Building Community Partnerships to Address Strains in the Social Safety Net
According to the National Institutes of Health, almost 20% of children and young people ages 3-17 in the United States have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder, with suicidal behaviors among high school students having risen over 40% in the last 15 years. These trends were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and have had a differential impact on systemically marginalized populations. About half of young children in the USA live in or near poverty, also a social driver of family mental health.
While individual treatment is an important approach to addressing the crisis, community-wide efforts aimed at systemic intervention and prevention are essential. In this conference, participants will learn about creative approaches to building community-based partnerships to support families and youth facing adversity. The social and structural determinants of health will be examined and approaches to health equity improvement will be considered, including how community narratives can build collaboration.
The 2024 Riggs-Yale conference will be presented jointly by the Austen Riggs Center's Erikson Institute for Education, Research, and Advocacy and the Yale Child Study Center. Additional information including CE/CME and registration details can be found on the Austen Riggs Center website.
News You Can Use
What the Killers of the Flower Moon Movie Teaches Us About Historical Trauma and Indigenous Health
YCSC Postdoctoral Fellow Stefanie Gillson, MD comments on health inequities for indigenous people in this article about a potential Oscar nominee for Best Picture highlighting health problems faced by Native Americans.
1 Dec 2023Discrimination During Pregnancy Can Affect Infants’ Brain Circuitry
Yale and Columbia University researchers find that a parent’s experience of discrimination during pregnancy can affect their infant’s brain.
Source: YaleNews27 Nov 2023We're Failing to Treat Early Psychosis Symptoms in Black Children
In this opinion piece, YCSC Clinical Fellow Onyi Okeke, MD addresses health disparities in mental health treatment and outcomes for Black children, and the importance of early intervention to avoid dire consequences.
Source: Medpage Today14 Nov 2023
Upcoming Grand Rounds
Due to the winter holidays and Yale's winter recess, there is a current break in YCSC Grand Rounds, with sessions resuming on January 9, 2024. Sessions are typically presented in person in the Cohen Auditorium at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, from September through June, with a live stream available via Zoom.
YCSC State of the Department: Looking Ahead to 2024
Yale Child Study Center Grand Rounds
Speaker: Linda Mayes, MD
Innovations in Global Health Communication: Design for Extreme Scalability
Yale Child Study Center Grand Rounds
Speaker: Maya Adam, MD
Using Stem Cells to Explore the Genetics Underlying Brain Disease
Yale Child Study Center Grand Rounds
Speaker: Kristen Brennand, PhD
Childhood Trauma: Translating Clinical Observations into Effective Trauma-Focused Treatment
Yale Child Study Center Grand Rounds (VIRTUAL)
Speakers: Carrie Epstein, LCSW, Brianna Brower, PhD
Supporting Families through the Family Based Recovery Model: A Case Review
Yale Child Study Center Compassionate Care Grand Rounds
Speakers: Laurie Cardona-Wolenski, PsyD, Karen Hanson, MSSA, LCSW, Surraya Miller, Cecilia Frometa, PhD, Lisa Turner, LCSW, CSWA
YCSC Grand Rounds: Neural-Glial Interactions in Brain Development – Implications for Lifelong Health
Yale Child Study Center
Speaker: Staci D. Bilbo, PhD
In the Media
A patient called me a racial slur. Unfortunately, my experience is universal.
In this opinion piece for the Boston Globe, YCSC Psychiatry Fellow Amanda Calhoun addresses how racism from patients is a violent rite of passage for Black doctors.
Source: Boston Globe13 Dec 2023The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2023
YCSC Assistant Professor Christina Cipriano, PhD was named in this article along with her team's work on the impactful meta-analysis titled "The state of evidence for social and emotional learning: A contemporary meta-analysis of universal school-based SEL interventions" and ranked one of the top ten most significant education studies of the year.
Source: edutopia7 Dec 20232023 Excellence in Psychotherapy Award Winners Announced
YCSC Clinical Fellow Issac Johnson received the Austen Riggs Award for Excellence in Psychotherapy in November. The annual award is now in its 5th year and recognizes and supports the development of psychiatric residents.
Source: Austen Riggs Center News16 Nov 2023