Brain scientist to give talk clarifying aspects of child development - Oct. 20, 2009
by Kathleen McCoy |
Dr. Levitt is dedicated to the science and promotion of health and education of young children
Esteemed neuroscientist Dr. Pat Levitt is coming to share with the Anchorage community his research on the impact of early experience on brain development and how we can more effectively advocate for policies and laws that help us invest in our children. His talk, "The Impact of Early Adversity on Brain and Child Development: Implications for Policy and Law," will be in the Fine Arts Building, room 150 on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The talk is free and open to the public.
As Dr. Levitt explains it, capable children become the foundation of a prosperous and sustainable society. Placing all the responsibility on parents is unrealistic. If we invest in early childhood development we will create a much more competitive society of individuals. Dr. Levitt illustrates that just like how we need to build a sturdy foundation of a house, we need to pay attention to the initial building phases of children. Getting things right the first time is easier than trying to fix them later. Unfortunately, this is an area where policy is not driven by the science. Since media does not really cover childhood development at all, it is up to us to address with our legislators the consequences of inaction.
Currently Director at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Dr. Levitt's research focuses on the development of brain architecture that controls learning, emotional and social behavior in children. His clinical genetics and basic research studies focus on understanding the causes of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, and how genes and the environment together influence typical and atypical development. Dr. Levitt is a frequently invited speaker at national and international seminars and conferences, as well as public education and policy forums that promote the health and education of children. In 2007, he presented at the Summit on America's Children for Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and to numerous state legislatures.
Dr. Levitt received his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and the Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Neuroscience at Yale University. Dr. Levitt has held faculty positions at several medical schools, including Chairman of the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Named a McKnight Foundation Scholar, Dr. Levitt also is a MERIT awardee from the National Institute of Mental Health, an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. He is a member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, on the editorial board of six scientific journals, and the National Advisory Mental Health Council for the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Levitt also served as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of Cure Autism Now.
For more information about Dr. Levitt, click here .
This event is sponsored by UAA and Best Beginnings, Alaska's Early Childhood Investment.
"Brain scientist to give talk clarifying aspects of child development - Oct. 20, 2009" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.