Apr
24
Date: 24-April-2026
Time: 1:00 PM ET (New York Time)
Presenter: Dr. Christopher Monk
Meeting information:
Meeting number: 2532 761 9157
Password: XJg29GQEXr8 (95429473 when dialing from a phone or video system)
Join by phone:
+1-415-655-0002 US Toll
Access code: 253 276 19157
https://gsumeetings.webex.com/gsumeetings/j.php?MTID=m0fc0507b0406c29aec987ece0da92c56
Join us Friday, April 24th, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET for an exciting virtual talk by Dr. Christopher Monk entitled: “Adversity, the Developing Brain, and Mental Health” as part of the activities of the Brain Space Initiative, co-sponsored by the Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) and the Data Science Initiative, IEEE Signal Processing Society.
Abstract
Adversity, the Developing Brain, and Mental Health
Adversity during childhood and adolescence can profoundly impact wellbeing, learning, and health. To date, it remains unclear how adversity influences biology, diminishes human potential, and interacts with other factors that promote resilience. The goal of my research program is to decipher how the social environment alters neural development and how these alterations map onto affective functioning in adolescence and young adulthood, developmental stages when the incidence of anxiety and depression markedly increases. To that end, I will present findings from a population-based, representative sample that has been followed since birth. Many of the participants have been exposed to various forms of adversity during development. Results will be discussed linking the social environment -- including violence exposure, social deprivation, and buffers that promote resilience -- to brain development and mental health. Finally, I will briefly describe current research directions, including the further examination of resilience and the incorporation of neuroinflammatory markers, neurotoxins, and computational modeling approaches.
Biography
Christopher S. Monk received the Ph.D. in child psychology with a minor in neuroscience from the University of Minnesota and was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health.
He is currently Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is also a Professor of Psychiatry, a Research Professor at the Survey Research Center, and an Affiliate of the Michigan Neuroscience Institute at the UM. Since 2005, he has directed the Translational and Developmental Neuroscience Lab (TaDLab) where he along with his students, staff, and collaborators examine healthy brain development as well as how brain development goes awry and leads to mental disorders.
Dr. Monk’s work has been funded by many grants from NIH; he is a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the Association for Psychological Science.
Recommended Articles:
- Monk, C. S., & Hardi, F. A. (2023). Poverty, brain development, and mental health: progress, challenges, and paths forward. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 5, 309-330. (Link to Paper).
- Hardi, F. A., Goetschius, L. G., McLoyd, V., Lopez‐Duran, N. L., Mitchell, C., Hyde, L. W., ... & Monk, C. S. (2023). Adolescent functional network connectivity prospectively predicts adult anxiety symptoms related to perceived COVID‐19 economic adversity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64(6), 918-929. (Link to Paper).
- Hardi, Felicia A., et al. "Latent profiles of childhood adversity, adolescent mental health, and neural network connectivity." JAMA network open 7.8 (2024): e2430711. (Link to Paper).
