Title: “The intergenerational transmission of health: Interplay between biology and sociocultural context”
Date and Time: 19 December 2025, 12:30
Venue: A-130 FEASS Seminar Room
Speaker: Özlü Aran, Northeastern University
Abstract:
Pregnancy and the first postnatal year are sensitive periods during which environmental factors can shape development and health. My research lies at the intersection of developmental psychology, psychoneuroendocrinology, and social public health to understand how the perinatal environment influences offspring development in the first years of life. In this presentation, I will first discuss parent-child interactions and their mechanistic role in shaping child socioemotional development. I will then explore how sociocultural environment contributes to prenatal stress by examining experiences of discrimination, neighborhood adversity, and birthplace. To create a mechanistic account of development, my research examines psychological and physiological stress-responsive processes to understand their role in shaping health both for the parent and fetus. The ultimate goal of this research program is to identify outcome-specific mechanisms and markers that may serve as targets for future interventions.
Biograpy:
Dr. Özlü Aran is a postdoctoral researcher at Northeastern University. She completed her Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Psychology with a concentration in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Denver. Previously, she received her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Developmental Psychology at the Middle East Technical University in Türkiye. Özlü’s research program examines the intergenerational transmission of health with a specific emphasis on perinatal stress, health disparities, and early socioemotional development. When Özlü isn’t in the lab, she enjoys crafting, learning to play hand percussion, hiking, and watching movies.