The Institute of Human Development is an Organized Research at UC Berkeley. An ORU is an academic unit the University has established to provide a supportive infrastructure for interdisciplinary research that complements the academic goals of departments. Characteristically, ORUs cross significant intellectual boundaries between disciplines such as those assumed to exist between departments and divisions, or their equivalent. ORUs may also be established to serve a compelling campus research priority or need that has been identified through broad campus consultation or strategic planning.

The Institute of Human Development’s activities are aligned with our model of integrative transdiscplinary developmental science, and focused on two developmental windows: Early Child Development and Adolescence.

The Early Development & Learning Science program is an exciting convergence of research, from neuroscience to economics, and highlights the crucial role of early development and learning (0–8 years) in lifelong health, economic, and social success. Yet parallel advances in translating this research into innovative practice — and training those who will implement it — lag behind. Our expanding knowledge base calls for the creation of a dynamic, integrated developmental science program.

The ARC seeks to bring together several disciplinary perspectives to promote a more integrative understanding of developmental science, including public health, psychology and education. We hope that a trans-disciplinary approach can be applied to create positive impact to improve the lives of youth in real world settings.

Our current projects focus on very young adolescents. The onset of adolescence initiates a period of rapid physical growth, maturational changes, social learning, adaptation, and formational neurobiological development. During this time of dynamic change young lives can pivot rapidly — in negative and positive directions. From a developmental science perspective, there is growing interest in understanding how to target this time of pivotal change as a window of opportunity — to promote positive developmental trajectories of health, education, social, and economic success.