Parenting & DNAm

Epigenomic Mechanisms of
Risk & Resilience

Our NIMHD-funded R01 explore how enhancing parenting alters the epigenome among at-risk Latinx families and potentially ameliorates the biological embedding of adversity. The aspirational goal of the project is to advance biologically-informed risk identification, personalized prevention and, ultimately, the reduction of health disparities.

Epigenomics

The study examines changes in child DNA methylation

Family Well-being

Families were randomized to a positive parenting program

Adversity & Context

Can parenting buffer biological embedding of adversity?

Study & Area Publications

Sullivan, A. D.W., Bozak, A., Cardenas, A., Comer, J., Bagner, D., Forehand, R., & Parent, J. (in press). Parenting practices may buffer the impact of adversity on epigenetic age acceleration among young children with developmental delay. Psychological Science. doi: 10.1177/09567976231194221
Sisitsky, M., Hare, M., DiMarzio, K., Gallat, A., Magariño, L., & Parent, J. (in press). Associations between early life adversity and youth psychobiological outcomes: Dimensional and person-centered approaches. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. doi: 10.1007/s10802-023-01064-x. PDF
Parent, J., Parade, S. H., Laumann, L., Ridout, K. K., Yang, B., Marsit, C. J., Seifer, R., & Tyrka, A. R. (2017). Dynamic stress-related epigenetic regulation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene promoter during early development: The role of child maltreatment. Development & Psychopathology, 29, 1635-1648. doi:10.1017/S0954579417001298. PDF

Study Collaborators

In addition to URI & Brown trainees, the study is lucky to have collaborators across multiple universities and across multiple scientific disciplines, including development and clinical psychology, epidemiology, and bioinformatics.