International Child Development Experts Convene to Focus on the Significant Potential to
Reduce Negative Outcomes Related to Childhood Stress Through Primary Child-Adult
Relationship
Third Annual Simms/Mann Institute Think Tank Urges Neuroscience-Based
Whole Child Approach in Provision of Early Childcare and Education
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 3, 2015 – Today, the Simms/Mann Institute brought together seven of the world’s
thought leaders in developmental neuroscience research, an economist and more than 400
professionals in the fields of education, business, philanthropy and medicine for the Third Annual
Simms/Mann Institute Think Tank. The first-of-its-kind event showcased research on how early
experience and environment, along with caring relationships, shape brain architecture.
At the conclusion of the Think Tank, the participating developmental neuroscience researchers issued
the following joint statement:
It is understood that infancy and early childhood are critical for the developing brain to lay the
foundation for adaptability and resilience. When this normal development is threatened or interrupted as occurs in times of severe/toxic stress - children may be deprived of essential elements required for
proper development. The impact of these stressors becomes predictive for somatic problems, poor
socialization, emotional dysregulation and impaired relationships.
Our research findings and clinical experience indicate there is significant potential to reduce negative
outcomes related to stress through the strength of meaningful child-adult relationships. Early, quality
engagement can prevent - and even reverse - some of the impact of stress on a child’s healthy
development. Resilience builds on attuned caregiving starting at birth -- being attentive to the child's
temperament, developmental stage and communicative signals. Attachment relationships provide the
best protection from the toxic effects of stress.
Neuroscientists demonstrate that the ability to change brain and behavior decreases over time.
Responsive interactions between infant and a primary adult (be it parent or caregiver) are therefore
critical for setting the stage for stable and secure relationships throughout life, and inform the child's
capacity to manage stress, regulate emotions and face hardships. From birth, it is essential to address
the needs of the whole child, which means to understand that biological, cognitive, emotional and social
capacities are interdependent and affect each other.
Addressing the importance of a whole child approach, with a strong emphasis on ages 0-3, the
Simms/Mann Institute has been working with the following researchers (and presenters at the Think
Tank) to develop the joint statement:
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Dr. Adele Diamond, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair Professor of Developmental Cognitive
Neuroscience at University of British Columbia
Dr. Ruth Feldman, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, with a
joint appointment at Yale University Medical School, Child Study Center
Dr. Peter Fonagy, Freud Memorial Professor of Psychoanalysis and Head of the Research
Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology at University College London, Chief
Executive at the Anna Freud Centre, London
Dr. Nathan Fox, Distinguished University Professor and Director, Child Development Laboratory,
University of Maryland
Dr. Patricia Kuhl, Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning and CoDirector of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, Director of the University of
Washington’s NSF Science of Learning Center, and Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at
the University of Washington
Dr. Pat Levitt, Simms/Mann Chair in Developmental Neurogenetics at Children’s Hospital Los
Angeles and the WM Keck Provost Professor of Neurogenetics at the Keck School of Medicine of
the University of Southern California
Dr. Alicia Lieberman, Professor, School UCSF School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Arthur Rolnick, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the Human Capital Research Collaborative at
the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, the University of Minnesota
In further support of the whole child approach, the Simms/Mann Institute also has created a publicprivate partnership with the Simms/Mann Institute Faculty Fellowship. This program seeks to bridge the
gap between developmental neuroscience research and on-the-ground early care and education by
advancing quality training and recognition of the childcare workforce. Thirteen faculty members from
California Community Colleges and The California State University were chosen to become the 2015
Simms/Mann Institute Faculty Fellows, spending one year completing a project that translates
neuroscience into practical research tools.
About Simms/Mann Institute
The Simms/Mann Institute for Education and Community Development was established in 2011 to
address the complex issues facing families today. Technological advances, rapid globalization, and
unpredictable economic conditions have fostered a competitive, over-stimulating, and stressful
environment that threatens the healthy development of children and families in our communities. The
Institute is unique in its philanthropic efforts by being positioned at the nexus of authentic, real-world
solutions. For more information, visit www.simmsmanninstitute.org.
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