In Texas, many children live in poverty, suffer from chronic illness, or endure abuse and neglect. Despite years of targeted intervention, these issues persist. Changing the way science helps society thrive is our grand challenge.

We have the unprecedented technological ability to study health and human behavior at a time when our communities are becoming increasingly diverse and complex. The things we can learn and the ways we can use that knowledge to help people thrive are revolutionary.

Despite these advances, many children in Central Texas aren’t thriving.

Children enter the world with tremendous potential, but early adversity can derail it. Although everyone experiences hardships, extreme or prolonged exposure to stress can lead to lifelong challenges. Those stressors can include poverty, family separation, exposure to violence, abuse, or experiencing discrimination.

For many children, these adverse childhood experiences take a serious toll on their biological systems, increasing the chance of physical and mental health problems as well as school failure, unemployment, and shorter life expectancy.

However, despite the experience of adversity, some children will thrive — what we call resilience. We don’t know all the reasons why some children are more resilient than others, but access to supportive relationships can play a protective role.

What else may shield children from risk so they all can thrive?

Our goal: Make sure that the most cutting-edge advances in behavioral and health science reach the children and families who need them the most.

https://bridgingbarriers.utexa...nities-whole-health/