Understanding the effects of poverty on child development

If we want to help children succeed and thrive so that they can reach their full potential, we need to understand their mental, biological, and emotional needs.

Join Sean Sanders, Director and Senior Editor for Custom Publishing at Science, as he interviews outstanding researchers in a broad range of fields whose work either directly involves the study of children and adolescents or has a significant impact in their lives. Each interviewee is also the recipient of the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize, awarded by the Jacobs Foundation, that recognizes exceptional achievements in the field of child and youth development.

Episode 5: Understanding the effects of poverty on child development, with Greg Duncan

What unique viewpoints does an economist bring to the study of poverty and child development? Can we measure the consequences of early deprivation on child development and lifelong health? Could poverty reduction have an impact on a child’s brain development?

Listen in as Sean finds out the answers to these questions and more with today’s guest, Greg Duncan.

Greg Duncan is Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of California, Irvine where he studies how school-entry skills and behaviours influence children’s later school achievement and attainment, and how increasing income inequality can affect children’s success at school and influence their life chances.