Social and health problems dominating headlines today—loneliness, opioid addiction, overdose, suicide, mass incarceration—have their origins in developmental adversity, those adversities, traumas, and significant stressors sufficient to alter the developmental trajectory. Developmental adversity, which includes child maltreatment, parental substance abuse, mental illness and household dysfunction, community violence and structural oppression, is unfortunately common, with exposure to multiple types of adversity growing among young people for the past two decades.  

Known mechanisms linking developmental adversity to social and health outcomes include:

• Biological embedding—changes to the brain, endocrine system, and gut microbiome,
• Psychosocial processes—shaping of attachment, emotional regulation, and emotional regulation,
• Behavioral processes—development of motivation, ability to understand and follow direction, and responsiveness to authority,
• Adjustment to school—capacity to achieve social and academic capacities required for school success, and
• Structural inequalities—discrimination, exclusion from opportunity, and historical trauma.

Given the broad range of both developmental adversity and the mechanisms underlying costly health and social outcomes, the Developmental Adversity, Resilience & Transformation (DART) Lab takes a trans-disciplinary approach to research, teaching and learning, and community engagement in order to change the landscape of developmental adversity-informed action. Our work is intended to equip decision-makers at the program, organization, system, and community level with knowledge, thought partnership, and inquiry skills.

Established with the generous support of a private donor, the DART Lab was approved by the College of Community & Public Health Sciences in early 2023. The lab is directed by Krista Goldstine-Cole, EdD and Siwen Zhang Minero, EdD. James Caringi, PhD serves as the principal investigator.