Along with a wide range of e-posters, exhibits and oral presentations from students in the sciences, social sciences and humanities, this year’s Research Day will introduce new events with a particular emphasis on the arts and creative projects, including a 24-Hour Play Festival from theater majors and thesis presentations from art majors.

This year’s conference also offers another exciting first: a keynote address delivered by a Nobel laureate, William G. Kaelin, Jr., MD, the Sidney Farber Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, senior physician-scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Dr. Kaelin received the . He also recently endowed a scholarship at Adelphi in honor of his mother, who graduated from Adelphi in 1954.

We spoke with Research Day co-chairs Karolina Lempert, PhD, assistant professor in the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, and Wei Liu, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing and Public Health, to learn more about the exciting new developments to the conference and Adelphi’s commitment to showcasing student-led research.

What are some of the new additions to Research Day this year, particularly those focused on the arts?

Dr. Lempert: For the 24-Hour Play Festival, theater students will write, direct and act in 10-minute plays based on abstracts of research that will be presented at the conference. They’ll receive the abstracts the day before the conference and will only have 24 hours to create and rehearse them before performing in the University Center (UC) ballroom from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This will be a different kind of presentation and it definitely involves more of the arts, which has generally been less represented at the conference.

Dr. Liu: Another new addition is the Senior Art Gallery Presentations. David Pierce, assistant professor of art and art history, will have seven students present their graduating theses in the UC art gallery from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. While we’ve had students display their art in past conferences, this year, they’re going to be there so they can converse and discuss their work with attendees. We’re also going to have anthropology students from two different culture and society classes display photos from their midterm assignments.

Are these new events the result of an effort to incorporate more creative disciplines in Research Day?

Dr. Liu: Adelphi has always tried to promote interdisciplinary collaboration with the conference, but inevitably there are some departments that have less representation. We’re very lucky to have worked with Laura Mroz [associate director of executive communications], who played a critical role in conducting outreach to other departments.

Dr. Lempert: There’s a norm in the sciences of presenting posters at conferences, while arts students have other ways that they display their work. So I think changing that culture and showcasing arts and humanities may take some time, but this is the start of the effort. This year, we’ll have the biggest representation from those fields so far.

How is Adelphi engaging local high school students as part of the conference?

Dr. Liu: For the first time, we’ll be hosting a for a chance to win a full-tuition scholarship to Adelphi. The admissions office, which is sponsoring the competition, is encouraging high school juniors from research classes to submit their abstracts to be presented on conference day. We’ll have judges at the conference who will review their work and select the winner.

How else will the Research Day conference be larger in scope this year?

Dr. Liu: We received approximately 350 abstract submissions—100 more than we usually receive. This marks increased submissions in every single category, including e-posters, oral presentations and computer science exhibits. While we used to host computer science and gaming exhibitions in the charter room on the second floor of the UC, this year, we’ll actually use a bigger space on the first floor to accommodate more participants.

Dr. Lempert: This is also the first year we expanded the event out to the entire UC—not just the second floor—and I think that it will only keep growing.

What are your plans for Research Day going forward?

Dr. Liu: If this year’s conference is a success and we receive positive feedback, we can do even more outreach and incorporate more disciplines next year. We’re also hoping to receive abstracts for new presentation types, such as humanities panel presentations and film presentations.

What do you hope students and attendees take away from Research Day?

Dr. Lempert: I hope the conference empowers students to do research of their own and to engage in their own creative work. I also hope it brings students closer together and helps them see that research is for everyone.

Dr. Liu: I really want students and faculty to take away the message that Adelphi promotes a strong community, and we encourage collaboration and inclusiveness. When we gather post-conference feedback from our presenters, we always hear that they appreciate people outside their own disciplines coming to see their posters or listen to their presentations. It’s just really encouraging, this knowledge-sharing among students and faculty across disciplines.

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But the Nordic voice hasn’t always spoken so loudly on the international stage. In 2003, Katie Laatikainen, PhD, professor and chair of Adelphi’s Department of Political Science and International Relations, published “” (Cooperation and Conflict), which examined the disappearance of the “Nordic voice”—the bloc of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden—from the United Nations.

At the time, the European Union’s (EU) progressive policies resonated strongly with Nordic states, who were willing to operate as part of a larger EU coalition. In the intervening years, however, those policies changed. “After they joined the UN in the 1990s, Nordic states felt they could push the EU to be as progressive as they were,” Dr. Laatikainen said. The Nordic bloc also believed the UN would remain a strong supporter of multilateralism, or the practice of multiple entities organizing toward a common goal, which is integral to the Nordic international identity. “But it became clear that wasn’t going to happen.”

The Once-Quiet Nordic Voice Starts to Speak Up

In the mid-2010s, Dr. Laatikainen noticed that the Nordic bloc was beginning to reclaim its voice, issuing collective statements that went farther than EU stances, sometimes alongside the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Now, she’s back with a new article that builds on a decade of research and observation: “,” written with longtime collaborator Karen Smith, PhD, of the London School of Economics. (In 2020, the two published the book Group Politics in UN Multilateralism, which won the Academic Council on the United Nations System Biennial Book Award.) The article was accepted into the , a showcase for world-class scholarship on the history of Nordic international relations.

Although the Nordic states have continued to release independent statements, “there’s been this emphasis on establishing a Nordic voice as opposed to a national voice as the main dimension of their diplomatic outreach,” Dr. Laatikainen said. While researching the article, she had been shown an internal document among the Nordic states that asked diplomats to emphasize a collective voice. “It was a conscious practice, and we wanted to figure out why.”

Fractures in the EU-Nordic Relationship

As a study on international practice theory once noted, “practices exist, first and foremost, in the eyes of practitioners.” Drs. Laatikainen and Smith spoke to 24 diplomats from the Nordic and Baltic states as well as the EU, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the UK. Their interviews revealed divisions between states and blocs that had formerly engaged in multilateralism.

Historically, Nordic concerns at the UN have centered on human rights, especially women’s, children’s, indigenous, and gender rights. But as several EU states grew more conservative, weakening the EU’s progressive agenda, progressive EU multilateralism fell by the wayside. With their values compromised, Nordic states were no longer content to work only within the EU’s diplomatic coalition.

Solving an Identity Crisis

The Nordic bloc had more in mind than accomplishing policy goals. “People think UN politics are about getting votes,” Dr. Laatikainen said, “but we contend that these diplomatic practices are as much about identity.” She and Dr. Smith drew on the concept of ontological security, or the need to experience the self as a continuous whole, to explain the reappearance of the Nordic voice.

“When we think about national security, we think about military security and arms races,” Dr. Laatikainen said. Ontological security, however, is about social and psychological desire. The safety of Nordic states had not been threatened by rising conservatism within the EU, but their existential position was. “These states were worried. ‘Are we losing who we are?’ We all want to maintain a sense of identity, whether collective or individual, in our relations with others.”

Looking to an Uncertain Future

In today’s unstable geopolitical landscape, certainty is in short supply. States will cling to—or create—practices that reaffirm their values and identities. For smaller states like the Nordics, the UN is a particularly important site of identity-making. The UN charter preserves the sovereign equality and political independence of all member states, “guaranteeing their existence as actors in the international system,” Dr. Laatikainen said.

Most interviews for the article were conducted in 2022. If Dr. Laatikainen spoke to her subjects again today, she believes she’d find “an even stronger attachment to the Nordic voice,” given tensions involving Russia and Denmark/Greenland. EU states are also seeking to disengage from a United States under President Trump’s leadership, eroding once-strong alliances and shifting the balance of power.

A Four-Decade-Long Scholarly Passion

Amid uncertainty in the world order, Dr. Laatikainen is proud to see a clear line in the continuum of her own work. Since going abroad to Denmark as an undergraduate, she has spent decades studying international relations and diplomacy, always harboring a particular interest in the Nordic region. “The return of the Nordic voice” will be one of her final publications before retirement. “This article is very meaningful on different levels,” she said. “It has historical echoes in both my personal and professional life.”

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Resolving child malnutrition requires identifying the most significant contributing factors, which can then be used to develop effective, targeted programs. To take on that challenge, Dr. Antony and his research team created a novel scoring framework, which was published in the article “” in Frontiers in Public Health (October 15, 2025).¹

Bridging the Gap Between Data and Reality

RISE (Relevance-based Integration of Statistics and Expertise) is a scoring system that prioritizes the most important factors driving malnutrition in children ages 0 to 23 months. While earlier frameworks relied solely on machine learning to identify these determinants, RISE integrates real-world data from the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre at KR District Hospital in Mysore, India.

Machine learning models play a valuable role, but they often prioritize variables that improve prediction performance yet overlook social realities. “You’re not only relying on numbers—you’re also giving importance to real-world clinical experiences and established scientific evidence to interpret the findings,” Dr. Antony said.

RISE combines three layers of analysis to create its scoring system. First, researchers took hospital records from 206 children admitted to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre between March 2024 and January 2025 who had been identified with moderate or severe acute malnutrition. Those records included data on 22 variables across three categories: child information, maternal information, and socio-demographic information. Then, researchers ran those variables through four statistical filter methods and a machine learning model.

“Instead of trusting one single method or one computer model, it combines three different ways of checking and identifying to find a balanced answer to the question of what leads to malnutrition,” Dr. Antony said.

What the Framework Found

With the scoring system in place, a clearer picture of what drives child malnutrition began to emerge.

The framework identified child anthropometry—weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference—as the most influential determinant of child malnutrition. But the second-ranked factor was less expected and had been overlooked by traditional scoring models: the mother’s physical health and social status, including breastfeeding practices, employment, weight, height and even caste. The child’s birth order was the third most influential factor, with more than 56 percent of malnourished children being second-born or later, suggesting that resources become increasingly stretched as the family grows.

This hierarchy of factors highlights a dual burden: the child’s current physical growth status and the mother’s nutritional condition together strongly shape malnutrition outcomes.

From Research to Real-World Impact

The framework highlights that child malnutrition is not caused by a single factor—and that there is no single solution. Moreover, the determinants of child malnutrition depend highly on region: According to Dr. Antony, “in countries like India, there are rural-urban differences—local food practices, sanitation, family structure—these all affect contributing factors.”

By identifying region-specific factors that contribute to child malnutrition, RISE offers decision-makers in government and nongovernmental organizations clear, data-informed direction on where to direct limited resources.

It is also important to consider how those interventions are delivered. “I was in India for another study, and while people in some remote communities didn’t have access to some basic needs such as proper housing or toilets, they had televisions and cellphones,” Dr. Antony said. “So can we use cellphones as a tool and send small messages or small clips to educate people in the community?”

Next Steps to Resolving Child Malnutrition

Now that Dr. Antony and his research team have identified key factors driving childhood malnutrition, they are collaborating with clinicians in Mysore, India, to align the RISE framework with public health programs.

The RISE framework can also be replicated in other parts of the world—provided it’s culturally responsive. “What works in India might not work in another region,” Dr. Antony said. “But can the framework be modified? Absolutely yes.”

Regardless of what form the framework takes, the global issue of child malnutrition demands a solution. While governments and international organizations continue to implement policies and programs, tens of millions of children worldwide continue to suffer from wasting and stunted growth.

“Child malnutrition is something that is preventable—it can be addressed in communities,” Dr. Antony said. “You’re talking about a new generation. This is something happening to children that can be controlled, but we are not doing enough.”

¹ Research team: Arumbuliyur Natarajan Uma, Shruthi Srikantamurthy, Shalini Sankalapura Rangaswamy, Priya Govindarajan and Lalith Rangarajan

The post Malnutrition Affects Millions of Children Worldwide. An Adelphi Professor Collaborated with Researchers in India on a New Framework to Address the Crisis appeared first on ������Ƶ.

Economists who study the effects of trade uncertainty tend to render market reactions in broad terms: aggregates, statistical indices, and macroeconomic scenarios. But Yue Han, PhD, associate professor of decision sciences and marketing at Adelphi, wanted to take a deeper dive. “Not all firms are affected by tariffs in the same way, even if they operate in the same country or industry,” she said.

In classical trade theory, tariffs are tools to protect and promote domestic industry. They affect a country’s balance of trade, the competition among its producers, and its overall welfare. Today, however, tariffs are also a form of risk, sparking changes to asset prices, credit conditions, and investor sentiment.

Along with Heng Emily Wang, PhD, of Elon University and Wenyao Hu, PhD, of the New York Institute of Technology, Dr. Han co-authored “” (Economics Letters, January 2026), a study proposing a new way to measure, as Dr. Han puts it, “how exposed a firm is to future tariff changes.”

Compiling Data to Measure Tariff Exposure

To develop their measurement, Dr. Han and her colleagues turned to corporate filings. They reviewed 10-Ks—a mandatory annual report filed with the SEC—from more than 3,000 companies nationwide, mining information about business activities and risk factors. For each firm, they identified any mentions of a foreign country, then weighted it by the “Liberation Day” tariff rate imposed on that country. This became the “tariff exposure index.” Next, the team merged the 10-K content with publicly available data on each firm’s accounting practices and daily stock returns. After running a series of regressions, they confirmed that firms with greater exposure to tariffs were, in fact, hit harder by “Liberation Day.”

Dr. Han explained, “Our study successfully illustrates that investors recognize tariff risk and price it into stocks. Firms with higher tariff exposure saw larger stock price drops after the announcement.” That relationship stayed strong even after controlling for a range of firm characteristics, such as size, valuation, or corporate event (think merger or IPO).

But why might one firm be more vulnerable to tariffs than another? Dr. Han says “financially fragile, future-oriented, or dependent on intangible assets” are the main factors. In other words, small firms with growth plans are more likely to be hurt by tariffs. So are firms that rely on debt or equity to operate.

Calculating Certainty in an Uncertain Global Economy

Dr. Han believes her work can add certainty to an otherwise risky economic landscape. Corporate filings have long been used to forecast risk and outcomes, and her team’s model may be able to predict how firms will weather future shocks as tariff uncertainty persists. Their model also demonstrates that markets have eyes and ears. In times of global trade turbulence, a firm’s returns will likely drop if it has telegraphed excessive tariff exposure.

This research stream is a fertile one, according to Dr. Han and her colleagues. Future studies could track the long-term impacts of tariff exposure, incorporating reactions from creditors, employees, customers, and other stakeholders. “Such extensions,” they note in the study, “would deepen our understanding of how protectionist policies shape firm behavior, market efficiency and the allocation of capital.”

Anyone with a basic grasp of economics could see how “Liberation Day” upended the global trade order. But as one of the first systematic examinations of market reactions to the announcement, Dr. Han’s study shows the true cost of tariff shock. Now, as shifting tariff policies rock the markets at home and abroad, firms should be aware of what information might signify their tariff exposure—and who knows it. “Trade policy uncertainty has become a firm-level financial risk,” Dr. Han said, “and markets respond to it fast, using information previously provided by firms.”

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This quote, recently shared on LinkedIn by ������Ƶ student Elorna Pierre, offers a window into how drive and compassion combined with innovative thinking are powering the next generation of healthcare professionals to grow their knowledge and make a positive impact on patients.

We interviewed Elorna to learn more about what she hopes to get out of her studies in the ������Ƶ College of Nursing and Public Health, how becoming a mother has changed her perspective and goals, and about her research that crosses technology and healthcare to address a healthcare topic that hits home.

Q. Thanks for agreeing to share your story with us, Elorna. Can you tell us about yourself and why you decided to continue your education at Adelphi in healthcare informatics?

A. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mercy University, where I discovered my passion for understanding how health and disease affect people’s lives. Working in healthcare showed me just how wide the gap between patients, providers and technology can be and how it can affect care. I saw how communication barriers, limited access and outdated systems can have real consequences, especially for underserved communities. Those experiences made me realize I wanted to do more than provide care. I wanted to help design systems that make healthcare smarter, more compassionate and more human. That led me to pursue my master’s in healthcare informatics at ������Ƶ, where I am learning how to use data and technology to create real change.

Q. How has being a mom impacted your experience as a student and the goals you set for yourself?

A. Becoming a mother changed everything. It gave me purpose, strength and perspective. Balancing school, internships and parenting is not easy, but my daughter motivates me every day. She reminds me that what I do matters, that my dreams are worth chasing and that I can show her what resilience and determination look like. Motherhood has also made me a more empathetic student and future healthcare professional. I now see every patient as more than a chart or a number. Behind every statistic is a person, a story and someone who deserves care and compassion.

Q. The research you presented at Adelphi’s 2025 Scholarship and Creative Works Conference explored a relatable and beneficial way to utilize AI, which is a popular news story at the moment. What was your research about, and what inspired it?

A. My research, “,” is deeply personal. It was inspired by my mother’s fight with colon cancer and my desire to make a difference. I explore how AI-powered digital twins, or avatars, can help detect cancer earlier, track treatment and give patients in underserved communities a better chance at prevention and survival.

Cancer symptoms such as nausea, immune suppression, weight loss, etc., require continuous monitoring, medication adjustments and lifestyle management. “Avatars for Health” incorporates gamified challenges, augmented reality interactions and daily health quests to increase engagement, promote adherence to healthy behaviors and close the gap between technology and human-centered healthcare. Through pilot programs and user engagement analysis, the study explores the potential of AI-driven digital twins to reduce the financial burden of healthcare costs, improve population health outcomes and revolutionize access to tailored healthcare solutions.

Presenting this work at Adelphi’s Scholarship and Creative Works Conference was one of the most meaningful moments of my journey. Standing there, sharing this story, reminded me that technology combined with empathy can truly change lives.

Q. In addition to your experiences with healthcare informatics at Adelphi, you recently completed a fellowship and have a great internship. How are all of these elements helping you work toward your career goals?

A. This year, I completed a Data Analytics Fellowship with , where I learned to use Python and data visualization to turn information into insights that can guide real-world healthcare decisions. I am now interning with the , learning how data flows across systems to improve patient care. These experiences have helped me connect what I have learned in the classroom to practical solutions that can make a difference. My goal is to continue building digital health tools that reduce disparities, promote equity and help people take control of their health.

About the Master of Science in Healthcare Informatics

The projects a 16 percent growth in healthcare informatics employment through 2032, due partly to the increased use of electronic health records and the enormous amount of data being produced by both people and systems.

The in the ������Ƶ College of Nursing and Public Health is the first CAHIIM-accredited health informatics master’s program in New York, teaching both healthcare and nonclinical professionals to transform medical data into valuable insights that improve patient care.

All theoretical coursework for the MS in Healthcare Informatics is completed online, allowing flexibility for working professionals to balance their studies with their careers and personal lives. Students also complete a 100-hour practicum experience with a healthcare organization or related company, either remotely or in person. Faculty and staff provide guidance and support throughout placement to ensure that the practicum aligns with each student’s professional goals and program requirements. This experiential component enables students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world professional settings and is essential to the degree program.

Explore the MS in Healthcare Informatics curriculum and .

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In their study, “ (The Journal of the New York State Nurses Association, July 2025), CNPH faculty members Marilyn Klainberg ’63, MS ’77, Irene Auteri ’79, PhD ’22, Joy Scharfman, PhD ’23, Bridget Maley, MS ’11, William Jacobowitz, EdD, Mercy Joseph, PhD, Patricia Pope, EdD and Catherine R. Bell wanted to test a seminal theory in gerontology: activity theory, which posits that staying socially and mentally active will increase positive health outcomes and life satisfaction.

Dr. Klainberg, first author of the publication, says she and her colleagues took on this work because aging is not simple. “The definition of successful aging is one thing,” she said, “but we wanted to see how older adults actually perceived their success.”

What Helps and Hinders Healthy Aging?

Successful aging involves a variety of factors. Some are physiological, like chronic health conditions or mental health. Others are linked to a person’s environment, background and finances. Aging also has social determinants, including independence, interpersonal relationships, community involvement and emotional support systems. As the CNPH study shows, self-perception plays a critical role, too. The more positively an older adult perceives their life, the better their quality of life may be. “If you look at the research,” Dr. Klainberg said, “even people with health issues who are socially involved will say that they’re well.”

The CNPH team took a multidimensional approach when designing their study. They considered the influence of chronological age as well as socialization, health determinants and self-perception of health. Team members interviewed 175 adults over the age of 65 who lived independently and did not have significant health-related limitations. In order to gather a cross-section of data that would support their conjectures, the CNPH team asked participants to evaluate their health and how they perceived it.

For Some Seniors, Age Really Is Just a Number

As Dr. Klainberg observed in prior studies, the two realities did not always overlap. Eighty-seven percent of participants perceived themselves as healthy, even though 62 percent had chronic illnesses. Despite their ages and health conditions, only 20 percent of participants reported feeling sad. Eighty-four percent did not feel lonely, even though 77 percent lived alone—but, as the CNPH team suspected, 89 percent socialized with family and friends, which made all the difference. Plus, almost all participants engaged in enjoyable daily activities, exercised and took rest breaks. Besides socialization, the CNPH team’s findings demonstrate that exercise and rest are integral for well-being among older adults.

Ultimately, the CNPH team confirmed what many of us believe: Sometimes, age is just a number. Mixed individual and societal influences shape older adults’ perception of their health. To ensure successful aging, care environments must emphasize older adults’ social, psychological and independence needs throughout the aging process.

The data collected from this study will be put to good use among healthcare providers. “Many older adults think, ‘I’ve done my time, I should just sit here now that I’ve retired,’” Dr. Klainberg said. “But our role as nurses and educators is to help them find ways to stay engaged, whether that’s joining an organization, going to the library or getting out to see friends. Now we have more data to explain why.”

Grant Funds Game-Changing Gerontology Education Tools

Other CNPH faculty are also undertaking work to enhance student education to meet the needs of older adults. Anthony Egan, director of the Clinical Education and Simulation Lab (CESil), received a grant from the nonprofit Aging in America for the “Gerontology Education and Simulation Enhancement Project,” which will expand Adelphi’s capacity to prepare nursing students for their future careers.

“At CESiL, we pride ourselves on providing top-tier education, but when we realized that the majority of our nursing simulations resemble younger patients, we recognized the need to better represent the population most nurses care for: older adults,” Egan said. He calls the partnership with Aging in America a “game changer” in improving nursing education for the care of older adults. The project will enable students to access realistic and diverse simulation-based learning scenarios, as well as targeted scholarships and new gerontology content across the curriculum.

Egan added, “We are beyond excited and proud to have Aging in America as a partner in this important work. Their commitment to improving geriatric care education aligns perfectly with our mission, and we can’t wait to see the positive impact this project will have on both our students and the communities they serve.”

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Dr. Caro, who studied human evolutionary biology at Harvard University before pivoting to zoology and animal biology at the University of Oxford for her doctorate, has spent most of her career researching the dynamics between bird parents and their offspring, integrating concepts from behavioral neuroscience, evolutionary biology and urban biology. “I’m interested in how birds’ social behavior evolves when there’s a tension between two evolutionary incentives: cooperation and competition,” she said.

Bird families are the perfect petri dish for this tension. Parents want their offspring to cooperate and survive, but they may also, as Dr. Caro puts it, “be a little selfish and want their partner to do more of the work.”

Publishing Research That Expands Understanding of Bird Behavior

Recently, Dr. Caro was the first author on an article, “” (Behavioral Ecology, May 2025), that adds a new dimension to our understanding of bird parent behavior. Among evolutionary biologists, conventional wisdom holds that bird parents respond to their offspring begging for food with fixed behaviors, or behaviors that have evolved over time into something specific and unchanging. But Dr. Caro suspected that parents are actually plastic, or flexible, when responding to their offspring’s signals, particularly in different environmental conditions.

Dr. Caro took to the woods to conduct an experiment. She gave half of the resident bird population extra food to simulate ideal environmental conditions. The other half experienced no change to their environments. Additionally, she cross-fostered broods to ensure that chicks in both populations would behave similarly, leaving environmental conditions the only remaining variable.

Over the subsequent week, parents did not concentrate their feeding on the chicks that were the largest or loudest. Instead, Dr. Caro’s theory proved correct. The parents who received extra food became “nice, equitable parents,” she explained, while parents in harsher conditions surrendered to survival of the fittest. “These parents selectively ignored the runts, which means they were making decisions about which of their offspring were most likely to survive when food was low.” Ultimately, parents displayed plasticity in responding to multiple sources of information, including local environmental conditions and their assessments of each chick’s size and behavior.

Exploring Parenting Differences Between Males and Females

Dr. Caro’s “” (Behaviour, July 2025) illuminates another bird family dynamic—this time couples. “In my work, I was noticing that male and female parents made decisions differently. Mothers took longer to make a decision and were more likely to change their minds,” often clashing with fathers over feeding. But, she wondered, were these conflicts purely the product of biological differences in birds?

To find out, she conducted a meta-analysis on 31 bird species, comparing how mothers and fathers responded to offspring begging alongside social and physiological traits that could influence conflict. The results were unexpected. “I went in expecting birds to show similar patterns to mammals, where females are almost always more responsive and provide the vast majority of parental care,” she said. “But across every bird species, sex difference was minimal. Only when I looked within species did I start to see other patterns.”

In bird species with strong bonds between males and females, fathers were more responsive to offspring begging for food. In species with less stable bonds, however, fathers were less responsive to begging, leading females to compensate by taking on a greater share of parental care. Rather than an innate difference among sexes, then, Dr. Caro’s findings demonstrate that varying levels of responsiveness among males and females are likely shaped by the types of bonds they form.

Whether she’s depositing mealworms in bird nests or running statistical analyses, Dr. Caro believes a mixture of research methods will always yield the best result. “Comparative meta-analyses allow me to see the big picture across species. Then I can zoom into the details with experimental work,” she said. “My findings from an experiment might lead me to do a meta-analysis or vice versa. This is just such a rich field with so many different axes to explore.”

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A New Framework for Understanding Homework Help

“When I started studying homework and parenting, I found that the literature was divided between proponents and opponents of parental involvement, or focused on topics like whether parental involvement is academically effective. The parent-child relationship was completely overlooked,” said Dr. Gershy Tsahor. “As children grow up, there are fewer opportunities for parent-child interactions that are meaningful, so I began looking at homework as one context for interaction that was already built into the family’s daily routine. Parents are so busy that if there’s a way to foster the relationship that is already structured in family life, it makes for an ideal opportunity.”

Dr. Gershy Tsahor’s theoretical paper positions homework as not just an academic task, but as a unique opportunity for “joint attention” between parents and children during middle childhood—the developmental stage between early childhood and adolescence. The work is grounded in questions like “What do children need from their parents during middle childhood?” and “What kind of parental involvement enables a child to feel seen, valued and supported, as well as feeling that there is sufficient trust in them to do things successfully alone?”

The resulting approach—employing ”joint attention” during homework—moves beyond the traditional argument for or against parental homework involvement and instead focuses on the quality of parent-child interactions during homework time. In developmental psychology, the concept of joint attention refers to one person coordinating, with purpose, their focus of attention with another person on a single object or task. More succinctly, it means two people paying attention to the same thing at the same time.

In early childhood, joint attention plays an important role in language development, social bonding and learning. Dr. Gershy Tsahor’s article suggests that homework is a structured opportunity to maintain and strengthen these moments even as children grow older and such occasions are fleeting.

Practical Implications for Parent-Child Homework Interactions

Many parents find themselves increasingly involved in their children’s homework, yet sometimes feel uncertain about the right level of support. Some worry about creating dependence on their help, while others fear their children will fall behind without a helping hand. With a national survey by NORC (National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago showing that 80 percent of parents help with homework on at least a weekly basis, practical guidance on how to help is useful for those seeking equilibrium.

“Doing this the ‘right way’ is a big concern for parents,” Dr. Gershy Tsahor said. “They understand the importance of helping their child academically, but most parents are not educators. They are confused about how to help.”

Her research offers a strategy to help parents navigate these concerns. She notes that while parents may not have the pedagogical training to promote their child’s academic skills, what they are able to do is help their child find meaning and motivation in what they are doing. “Parents are the most important adults in their child’s life. Helping children find meaning in what they have done during the school day allows parents to be witnesses and reinforcers, not instructors,” Dr. Gershy Tsahor said.

Most importantly, she said, the focus should shift from a pedagogical, often stressful approach to one that creates meaningful experiences—an opportunity for mutual discovery rather than instruction. “Instead of providing the answers, parents can ask open-ended questions that help children think through problems while maintaining a shared focus on the work,” she said. “They can sit with a child as they work through math problems, pointing out patterns together, or discuss the themes in a reading assignment.”

She says that taking away the uncertainty and negativity from homework time is the key. “It’s important for parents to know they don’t need a teaching degree to help their kids succeed.”

Taking a Tailored Approach

Effective homework support looks different for different children and families—some children may need more structured joint attention sessions, while others benefit from having parents available but less directly involved. “The key is maintaining the quality of shared focus and collaboration rather than trying to take a one-size-fits-all approach,” she said.

“When people have children, they often feel there is a ‘right way’ to parent or a ‘correct’ strategy to use. While it can be reassuring to feel we have a script to follow, there is so much diversity in children and parents that this is often not feasible. It just creates more stress,” Dr. Gershy Tsahor said.

She recommends that parents try to think about their goal and fine-tune and tailor their interactions. Ask questions like What does my child need from me in this context? and How can I join them in this process?

“This requires parents to be truly present, but ultimately they have the opportunity to learn something really important about their child’s life and get a glimpse into their child’s world.”

In soon-to-be-published research, Dr. Gershy Tsahor examines the impact of an intervention that teaches parents to dedicate the initial five minutes of homework preparation to a guided observation of their child before offering assistance. Findings included an enhanced understanding of their child’s mental experience and decreased levels of hostility during homework time, highlighting the importance of parental awareness of their child’s mental state during homework and tailoring the experience to consider their perspective and capabilities.

Beyond Academic Outcomes

Dr. Gershy Tsahor’s work encourages parents to consider outcomes beyond grades and test scores. While academic achievement remains important, the joint attention framework has significant added benefits: strengthened parent-child relationships, enhanced communication skills and increased confidence in learning.

“When families approach homework as an opportunity for meaningful connection, children develop more positive attitudes toward learning and greater resilience. They continue to trust the adults in their life as a reliable source of help,” said Dr. Gershy Tsahor. “These outcomes can be more valuable in the long term than immediate academic gains.”

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As an expert in maternal and child health inequalities, and a Nigerian native herself, Dr. Yusuf saw a research question in the making—and the chance to make a difference. “I wanted to understand how much Nigerian parents really knew about HPV, about the cancers it causes, about the vaccine itself and if they intended to get it,” she said. “By gathering that information in advance, we could identify reasons for potential HPV vaccine hesitancy and understand how to convince parents to immunize their children when the vaccine became available.”

Addressing a History of Vaccine Skepticism

In Nigeria, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women. Yet the nation’s immunization rates have historically been extremely low, in part due to mistrust of Western medical intervention. So while the HPV vaccine offers close to total lifelong protection against cervical cancer, Dr. Yusuf wasn’t certain Nigerian parents would see the vaccine as a silver bullet for their children. But to change parents’ minds, Dr. Yusuf knew she would first have to identify what was holding them back.

Dr. Yusuf and her team interviewed more than 1,000 parents and caregivers across Kano State, the most populous state in Nigeria. Participants were asked several questions, including if they had ever heard of HPV, the main reason they would not want to vaccinate their child(ren), and whether they would pursue the vaccine if it were available for free or more cheaply. At the time of Dr. Yusuf’s study, the HPV vaccine was only available for a substantial fee from private hospitals.

Discovering the Drivers of Parental Hesitancy

The interviews returned some unexpected results. Given the history of vaccine skepticism in Kano, Dr. Yusuf said she “predicted very low intention rates going in.” But about 67 percent of parents indicated a willingness to vaccinate their children if the vaccine were free or subsidized. Dr. Yusuf also found that parents in urban areas were more likely to be hesitant, which came as a surprise. “I assumed people in rural areas would have less access to news and educational materials, so they would be less aware of the vaccine,” she explained, “but it might actually have been because they have minimal access to social media and therefore less misinformation.” Fathers showed higher rates of hesitancy than mothers, which “should worry us. Nigeria is a patriarchal society, so fathers are the ones making key decisions for the family.”

In addition to “high-risk groups,” the study conclusively identified the most common reasons for vaccine hesitancy. In general, hesitant parents were (1) concerned about the vaccine’s safety, (2) did not believe their child(ren) needed it, (3) had not received a recommendation from their doctor, or (4) were not aware of the vaccine itself. In fact, only about 4 percent of participants had ever heard of HPV.

Dr. Yusuf is no stranger to the complicated factors that shape a population’s relationship with vaccination. Having previously studied immunization coverage gaps in the United States, she sees a clear difference between vaccine-hesitant American and Nigerian parents. “The biggest problem in the U.S. is probably misinformation or disinformation from social media. But in Kano, few people have access to social media.” Why, then, do rumors and myths about vaccines still run rampant, even for urban residents? “Many Nigerian communities believe what their religious and cultural leaders say. And sometimes those leaders say things that are misleading or inaccurate.”

Using the Right Tools to Champion Vaccination

Now that Nigeria’s HPV rollout is underway, public health officials can target these variables—whether in isolation or together—when developing vaccination campaigns. As Dr. Yusuf noted in her subsequent report, “” (Vaccine: X, December 2024), “tailoring interventions to address the unique compositions and concerns of these communities is essential for improving vaccine uptake.”

In particular, public health programs in Kano must address knowledge-related barriers when designing and implementing interventions. “We need to partner with trusted figures in the community to make sure people are getting accurate information,” Dr. Yusuf said. “We need to focus on educating, creating awareness, and stressing the link between vaccines and cancer prevention.”

Dr. Yusuf is currently completing an article from the study’s qualitative component, which will provide in-depth information on how to increase HPV vaccine uptake and actionable strategies for vaccine managers and policymakers in Kano. While she admits we still have much more to learn about the vaccine’s uptake in northern Nigeria, her work is steadily helping close the immunization gap, one study at a time.

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