About Us

Developmental adversity (DA) is those adversities, traumas and significant stressors sufficient to alter the brain, body, or developmental trajectory as well as psychosocial processes, such as attachment. Unfortunately, developmental adversity is common, with exposure to multiple types of adversity growing among young people for the past two decades. Developmental adversity is a powerful social determinant of health that drives many costly social and health problems dominating the headlines today. These include loneliness, opioid addiction, overdose, suicide, and mass incarceration—have their origins in developmental adversity.

Known mechanisms linking developmental adversity to social and health outcomes include:

• Biological embedding—changes to the brain, endocrine system, and gut microbiome
• Psychosocial processes—shaping of attachment and emotional regulation
• Behavioral processes—development of motivation, ability to understand and follow direction, and responsiveness to authority
• Adjustment to school—learning to meet academic and behavioral expectations, and forging healthy relationships at school
• Structural inequalities—discrimination, exclusion from opportunity, and historical trauma.

Given the broad range of both developmental adversity and the mechanisms underlying costly health and social outcomes, the Developmental Adversity, Resilience & Transformation (DART) Lab takes a inter/transdisciplinary approach to research, teaching and learning, and community engagement in order to change the landscape of developmental adversity-informed action. Our work is intended to equip decision-makers at the program, organization, system, and community level with knowledge, thought partnership, and inquiry skills.

Established with the generous support of a private donor, the DART Lab was approved by the College of Community & Public Health Sciences in early 2023. The lab is directed by Krista Goldstine-Cole, EdD and Siwen Zhang Minero, EdD. James Caringi, PhD serves as the principal investigator.