Resilience to prenatal stress: Implications for offspring health and neurodevelopment

Supervising Faculty: Alison Hipwell, PhD, ClinPsyD

Contact: Dr. Alison Hipwell, hipwae@upmc.edu

Area of Research: Developmental psychopathology, prenatal health and stress regulation, intergenerational transmission

Description of Research: Directed research students may be involved primarily in one of two ongoing studies: 1) ‘Resilience to Prenatal Stress: Implications for Offspring Health and Neurodevelopment’ (UG3 OD023244) examines the impact of preconception and prenatal stress and chemical exposures on a range of child health outcomes (neurodevelopment, obesity, airways, positive health) assessed prospectively from infancy to early childhood. The study is part of the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium. Participants complete up to three psychophysiological assessments of stress regulation (e.g., intensity and recovery of cortisol response) during pregnancy. Offspring neurodevelopment is assessed at 6, 15, 24 and 36 months with multi-modal measures (e.g., neural and behavioral measures of executive function and stress reactivity). Emotional and behavioral response to stress is elicited using age-appropriate standardized tasks (e.g., face-to-face still face [FFSF] paradigm at 6 months; toy removal task at 15 months), filmed and coded by trained, independent raters. 2) ‘Caregiving Effects on the Early Development of Infant Brain-Behavior Relationships’ (R01 MH115466) examines prospective associations between infant brain structure and function and emotional regulation, and the role played by caregiving in shaping these brain-behavior relationships. In this study, infants undergo neuroimaging during natural sleep at 3 and 9 months and are also filmed during the FFSF paradigm at 3 months and during emotion-eliciting tasks (joy/pleasure, frustration, fear) from the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB, Goldsmith & Rothbart, 1999) at 9- and 18-months. Frequency and intensity of infant positive and negative emotional responses are assessed using standardized observational coding procedures. If interested, students may also assist with coding in a qualitative study of stress and resilience among Black LGB young adults.

Duties of Students: Students’ primary duty will be to code videos of infant behavioral response to emotion-eliciting tasks using manualized coding systems that have been established in our lab. Coding training and support will be provided by an experienced Research Specialist and no previous experience is required. Students will participate in weekly coding meetings that include training on the use and implementation of observational coding and awareness of implicit biases in coding. Students may also be trained to work with qualitative data derived from participants’ transcripts and assist with data entry (e.g., lab checklists, address updates) and cleaning. Students may have the opportunity to assist Research Specialists with data collection. Through their involvement in this project, students will learn about developmental models of stress, health, and disease and will gain unique skills in the using and evaluating observational coding of infant and child behavior.

Requirements:

  • Overall GPA of 3.3 or higher
  • 12 credits of Psychology (including current term)
  • STAT 0200/1000/1100 Statistics
  • PSY 0036 Research Methods Lecture
  • PSY 0037 Research Methods Lab
  • Students need to commit to two consecutive semesters of at least 2 credits each, due to the time required to train and become proficient in coding.

 

Terms offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Number of Students: 4

Lab website: https://www.intergenstudies.pitt.edu/