IES Predoctoral Program Seminar: Dr. Greg Duncan

The University of Pennsylvania Predoctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Research Methods for Field-based Research in Education, sponsored by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), welcomes Dr. Greg Duncan to our weekly seminar series.

How Much Does Poverty Early in Life Harm Children’s Development
Presented by Dr. Greg Duncan, Distinguished Professor of Education, University of California, Irvine

Early childhood poverty is a risk factor for lower school achievement, reduced earnings, and poorer health, and has been associated with differences in brain structure and function. Whether poverty causes differences in early development, or is merely associated with factors that cause such differences, remains unclear. We report estimates of the causal impact of a poverty reduction intervention on brain activity in the first year of life, as well as impacts on components of the investment and stress pathways thought to mediate those impacts. We draw data from a subsample of the Baby’s First Years study, which recruited 1,000 diverse low-income mother–infant dyads. 

More information
The IES Predoctoral Program’s weekly seminar series connects program fellows and affiliates to scholars and practitioners who engage in educational research and the development of research methods.

Seminars are likely of greatest interest to doctoral students and faculty but are open to all members of the Penn community. If you are interested in attending virtually, please email Melanie Bahti for Zoom information.