Durham Child Health & Development Study

Studying young children, families and communities to
learn more about growth and development.

Autumn

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Duke University
North Carolina State University
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Beginning in August of 2002, over 200 families from all walks of life enrolled in the DCHD Study as they adjusted to the birth of a new child.

These families share their thoughts and experiences about parenthood and family life with us every six to 12 months until their child is eight years old. They help deepen our understanding of how families today meet the demands of their lives and raise healthy children.

Their continuing participation contributes to our knowledge about child social, emotional, and cognitive development from infancy though middle childhood, in the family and the classroom.

Principal Investigators

Martha J. Cox, PhD is Director of this study, and Director of the Center for Developmental Science. She has studied families for over 25 years and is the author of many books and articles. Her work has been cited in publications such as Newsweek, Time, Parent Magazine, The New York Times and Durham's Herald-Sun.

Cathi Propper, PhD is the Director of the Durham Child Health and Development Study. She received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Duke University in May of 2006. Dr. Propper's research examines the development of infant emotion regulation from a behavioral and physiological perspective with a specific focus on the influence of the parent-child relationship.

Peter A. Ornstein, PhD is the new Co-Principal Investigator of this study, and Professor of Psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill. Dr. Ornstein's research concerns cognitive development, especially the development of young children's memory. He is currently interested in the school environment and the ways in which teachers might be able to help children develop memory strategies.

Conducted by	Funded by the National Science Foundation