A New Look at Stress Over the Lifespan: Epigenetic and Psychosocial Perspectives
Discover the impact of stressful experiences on human development with a focus on recent advances in understanding the role of adverse experiences across the lifespan, including epigenetics.
Patricia Broderick and Dr. Pamela Blewitt, Professor, Penn State University
This webinar will present a brief overview of recent advances in understanding the role of stressful, adverse experiences on human development across the lifespan. Specifically, we will highlight recent work on epigenetics, which provides an explanatory model for how stressful experiences 'get under the skin.' Examples from research on infant attachments, mid-life wellbeing, and late life will be included. Effective approaches for stress management, including mindfulness and social interventions for older individuals, will be discussed.
About the speakers
Patricia (Trish) Broderick, Ph.D, Professor, Penn State University
Patricia (Trish) Broderick, Ph.D. is an assistant research professor at the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State University and founder and former director of the Stress Reduction Center at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She holds a Master’s degree in Counseling from Villanova University, a Ph.D. in School Psychology from Temple, and is a graduate of the Advanced MBSR training program at UMass Medical School. She is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified school psychologist, and certified school counselor.
Broderick is the creator of the Learning to BREATHE mindfulness program, which is used in schools and communities throughout the country and which was recently recognized as an effective program by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In addition to training clinicians and writing, she is currently a consultant on several NIH-supported grant projects that involve interventions for at-risk youth.
Dr. Pamela Blewitt, Professor, Penn State University
Dr. Pamela Blewitt is Professor Emerita in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Villanova University, where she has taught courses in Life Span Development, Parent/Child Transactional Processes, Child Psychopathology, and Research Design. She holds a Master’s degree from Columbia University in special education, and she taught emotionally disturbed children in a variety of settings before earning a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in developmental psychology. Dr. Blewitt is a passionate advocate for young children and their parents and for the professionals who work with them.