24 July 2025
New publication by graduate student, Cullin Howard! The article, Perceived mother and father parenting and adolescent social anxiety symptoms: A meta-analysis was published in the Journal Adolescent Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-025-00268-0
10 July 2025
Congratulations to Dr. Charles Geier for being named the first Associate Dean of Research for UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences!
08 July 2025
Dr. Linhao Zhang, lead author of the study from GCDS, was interviewed on GPB radio about her research on the importance of sleep for a healthy brain development.
GPB article by By Ellen Eldridge
features more on the study.
30 June 2025
The collaborated manuscript, "Family-centered prevention attenuates the association between structural racism risk and Black adolescents’ self-regulation and externalizing behavior: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial" has been accepted for publication in Prevention Science.
This paper will soon be available online.
Thank you to all collaborators and supporters who contributed to this important work!
19 June 2025
GCDS Research Study was highlighted in the OnlineAthens| ATHENS BANNER-HERALD.
UGA study: Lack of sleep disrupts key brain functions in adolescents (Assaf Oshri) – ABH
9 June 2025
Congratulations to our Associate Director, Dr. Charles Geier !
Dr. Geier’s innovative project, "Stress in Real Life: A Student-Led Listening Session to Understand Contemporary Daily Stressors Faced by Rural Youth," will partner with UGA Extension and 4-H to center rural adolescents’ voices in research. Through youth-led sessions, this initiative will identify real-world stressors that shape adolescent development and well-being—an essential step toward more inclusive developmental science.
We are proud to support Dr. Geier's commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering authentic community engagement. Looking forward to the impact this work will have across Georgia and beyond.
https://lnkd.in/dHN9BkK5
19 May 2025
Exciting news from our Georgia Center for Developmental Science! 🎉
In a collaboration with AU/UGA Medical Partnership school, a study led by Dr. Linhao Zhang —recent GCDS PhD graduate, now heading to Vanderbilt for postdoc training—highlights the critical role of both sleep duration and quality of adolescent brain connectivity and mental health.
The study, published in Brain and Behavior, utilized Fitbit data and MRI scans from over 2,800 adolescents. Findings show that insufficient or fragmented sleep is associated with reduced connectivity in brain networks responsible for decision‑making, self‑reflection, and information processing—factors linked to depression, ADHD, and schizophrenia. Teens with poorer sleep also exhibited higher impulsivity and behavioral issues (news.uga.edu).
🔗 Read more in UGA News: Lack of sleep
disrupts key brain functions in adolescents
https://news.uga.edu/sleep-affects-kids-brains/
A compelling example of applying developmental science to real-world outcomes— kudos to Dr. Zhang and the UGA team (Charles Geier , Assaf (he/el/הוא) Oshri for advancing our understanding of how sleep shapes adolescent resilience. The University of Georgia UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences
https://lnkd.in/efin5Jup