Welcome to JK Lifespan Development Lab.

We study risk and protective factors that are related to youths' physical and mental health. We examine biological, social and personality processes as risk and resilience factors for developmental psychopathology and heath risk behaviors. Some of our projects focus on religiosity, self-regulation, and self-system as protective factors for mental health problems among high-risk children with child maltreatment and for health risk behaviors among normative samples of adolescents. Our most recent research project investigates adolescent brain development related to risk taking decision making and health risk behaviors (substance use and risky sexual behaviors).  Here is the list of our ongoing projects:

• Risk and Protective Processes in Child Maltreatment
• Childhood maltreatment experiences and immune functioning among young adults
• Personality development and psychopathology using the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data
• Youths' healthy development study: Religiosity as a protective mechanism for adolescent health
• Behavioral, psychological and neurobiological predictors of adolescent risk decision-making and health risk behaviors