Jeanne Brooks-Gunn is a preeminent developmental psychologist whose pioneering work has transformed our understanding of child development within socioeconomic contexts. She currently serves as the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Child Development at Teachers College and Professor of Pediatrics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, where she also co-directs the National Center for Children and Families. Educated at Connecticut College (BA, 1969), Harvard University (EdM, 1970), and the University of Pennsylvania (PhD), her academic journey established the foundation for her influential career in developmental science. Brooks-Gunn has directed numerous major research initiatives including the Adolescent Study Program at Columbia University and has served on prestigious National Academy of Science panels addressing critical issues in child development and welfare.
Brooks-Gunn's groundbreaking research centers on family and community influences on child development, particularly among children living in poverty, with her longitudinal studies providing unprecedented insights into developmental trajectories. She has designed and evaluated influential interventions including the national evaluation of the Early Head Start program and the long-term follow-up of the Infant Health and Development Program, demonstrating how early childhood interventions can alter developmental pathways. Her seminal work "Consequences of Growing up Poor" (1997) and the "Neighborhood Poverty" series revolutionized understanding of how socioeconomic contexts shape developmental outcomes across multiple domains. With over 700 peer-reviewed publications, her research has directly informed national policy discussions on poverty, early childhood education, and family support programs. This body of work demonstrates the profound real-world impact of developmental science on improving children's lives.
Beyond her research contributions, Brooks-Gunn has been instrumental in shaping the field through leadership roles in major longitudinal studies including the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. She has mentored generations of scholars and helped establish interdisciplinary connections between developmental science, public policy, and pediatrics, serving on influential committees including the National Academy of Science Panels on Child Abuse and Neglect and Defining Poverty. Currently conducting long-term (30 year) longitudinal studies of children, youth and families in the Baltimore area, she continues to advance understanding of how social, biological, and environmental factors interact across the lifespan. Her ongoing work on multi-generational poverty and early childhood interventions remains at the forefront of efforts to translate developmental science into effective policies that enhance child wellbeing.
