Child Study Center Speaker Series

The Child Study Center Speaker Series

The Child Study Center is proud to present a series of distinguished speakers on topics related to child and adolescent development. Each annual series begins with the Child Study Center's Lois Bloom lecture, featuring a nationally recognized scholar.

2009-2010 Speaker Series Schedule

Child Study Center's 2009 Lois Bloom Lecture

October 8, 2009
Nittany Lion Inn, Boardroom, 4:15 p.m.
Reception to follow

Dr. Joel T. Nigg
Professor, Departments of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Genetics
Director, Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry
Oregon Health & Science University

Title: ADHD: Endophenotypes, environmental risk factors, and causal models
Abstract: ADHD is a complex behavioral syndrome with poorly understood causal inputs. The study of cognitive mechanisms has helped shed light on this complexity. Further clarity can emerge from considering temperament and personality as an endophenotype or alternative phenotype for ADHD components. However, the next generation of research has to move beyond merely looking at mechanisms to understand how mechanisms are related to causal factors—specific genes, specific environmental risks, and their interplay. In this lecture Dr. Nigg will highlight key discoveries in the cognitive correlates of ADHD, consider a temperament perspective on vertical integration of biological and cognitive elements in ADHD. New and recent findings will be discussed involving specific genes and specific environments, including toxin exposure and psychosocial stressors, and their interplay in ADHD. These inputs will be related to a multi-component model of ADHD.

Dr. G. Alan Marlatt
Professor of Psychology
and
Director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center
University of Washington
Title: Prevention of Problem Drinking among College Students: A Harm-Reduction Approach

November 11, 2009 (Wednesday)
4:15 p.m.
Nittany Lion Inn, Alumni Lounge
Reception to follow
Co-Sponsored with the Prevention Research Center

Dr. Marlatt will also present
The Prevention Research Center's Bennett Lecture "Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention in the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors"
Thursday, November 12, 2009
4:00 p.m.
Bennett Pierce Living Center, Henderson Building

Dr. Sidney J. Segalowitz
Professor of Psychology
Brock University
and
Editor-in-Chief, Brain and Cognition

Title: The Development of and Individual Differences in Medial Frontal Cortex and Self-Regulation
Abstract:The medial frontal cortex (MFC) is recognized as central for self-regulatory processes both in adults and children. Such self-regulation includes important aspects of executive functions that are critical both for school readiness, and for emotional and cognitive control throughout development. There has been an emphasis in the literature on cognitive information-processing aspects of the MFC and the anterior cingulate especially, with much reference to the notion of “conflict monitoring” but there are other ways to conceptualize the function of both MFC and anterior cingulate.
There are two aspects of individual differences in MFC that will be the focus of this presentation. The first is that there are major maturational changes in the MFC, reflecting network growth associated with this region. This maturation parallels (and we presume underlies) children’s increasing ability to monitor both their environment and their own behaviour as they grow. This maturation is basic to the development of executive functions, especially those relating to the social and emotional self-regulation that is so important for successful performance at school. The second is that the monitoring function of the MFC also differs across people independent of their developmental stage. How people monitor their performance underlies important aspects of personality or cognitive style, such as how one reacts to risks, to successes, or to failures.
These two aspects, maturation and personality differences, come together in the study of adolescent risk-taking behaviours. Older adolescents are more likely to take risks than are younger children, but some are more prone to risk-taking behaviours than others. In addition, the social context may influence the activation of the associated neural circuits. In this talk, I will present our program of research using event-related potentials that pertain to these sources of individual differences in self-regulation and to networks of the MFC.

December 3, 2009
4:15 p.m.
Location: 110C Chandlee
Reception to follow

Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Duke University Medical Center

February 4, 2010
4:15 p.m.

Title: tba
Abstract: tba
Location: 101M CSC
Reception to follow