Whether in schools, healthcare, or in the home, the University of Oregon’s Prevention Science Institute (PSI) helps individuals and communities enact lasting behavioral change to prevent some of the most important problems we face in society, such as long-term mental health distress, substance use, and behavioral problems in children that last a lifetime.
Researchers focus on understanding development, preventing behavioral health problems, and implementing effective interventions—an action or series of actions taken to improve a situation—in communities. They’ve built not only a successful research institute but also a field of study.
“Since the mid-1990s, we’ve built on the work of many scientists and scholars at the University of Oregon, which has brought us to where we are now,” said Beth Stormshak, PSI’s director and Philip H. Knight chair and professor. “This history of science in the area of prevention has resulted in us being able to recruit top-quality faculty to come here and do the work to understand and implement prevention science in communities.”
In fiscal year (FY) 2024, the institute’s faculty submitted 69 grant proposal submissions requesting nearly $22 million in funding. Additionally, PSI saw a 64% increase in total funding from awards between FY 2020 and FY 2023. This steadily increasing level of funding coupled with a commitment to supporting and training faculty—particularly early-career—has enabled PSI’s research and interventions in communities to stretch across the human lifespan. The institute’s provisions for faculty include mentorship, grant writing, and scientific support that enables publications and outreach to the community.
Prenatal
Kristin Perry researches the effects of prenatal co-exposure to tobacco and cannabis on child development, particularly focusing on the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS plays a crucial role in how individuals respond to stress, and Perry aims to understand how these substances affect children's PNS development and their reactions to stressors. She is investigating how “sensitive” parenting may mitigate the negative effects of prenatal substance exposure, as many parents are motivated to create a healthy environment for their child.
Early and Middle Childhood
Lauren Cycyk focuses on early intervention for language development in young children, highlighting its critical role before age five. Early intervention can significantly improve outcomes, with more than a third of children phasing out of special education services by school age. Cycyk collaborates with researchers from various institutions to identify disparities in early intervention access, especially for underserved families, including those of color and non-English speakers. With funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), she is working on a project that addresses the needs of Spanish-speaking families with children experiencing language delays. This includes developing an app-assisted intervention that respects their cultural values.
Beth Stormshak has focused her career on improving behavioral health and school success for children and families, particularly during middle childhood. She has led various projects, including testing the Family Check-Up (FCU), a school- and online-based family intervention designed to improve school readiness and reduce behavioral health issues in the classroom. The Kindergarten Study evaluated the FCU’s impact during the transition into elementary school, showing positive results in supporting emotional adjustment, coping, and school success. A follow-up project, the Kindergarten to Middle School Study, extended this support through middle school, demonstrating the FCU’s effectiveness in developing children’s self-regulation, attention, and social skills.
Adolescence
Rhonda Nese focuses on creating inclusive and welcoming school environments through the Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach (ISLA), which aims to reduce exclusionary discipline practices like suspension. The program emphasizes building positive relationships in the classroom to prevent behavioral issues and increase academic engagement. Nese recently secured NIH funding to study ISLA’s impact, particularly on middle and high school students. The research will explore outcomes such as improved school connectedness, better relationships with peers and teachers, and reduced substance use.
Adulthood
Leslie Leve is extending the Early Growth and Development Study (EGDS) to focus on young adulthood as part of the NIH Environmental influences on Health Outcomes (ECHO) initiative. EGDS, a longitudinal study with more than 1,400 participants from diverse backgrounds, explores the interaction of family systems, genetics, and early environment on children's development and health outcomes through age 20. Leve is particularly interested in identifying prevention strategies that support youth during this transition, helping them build foundational skills needed for adult success, including independent living, employment, and social relationships. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges to this transition, which looks different from past generations, prompting future research on the intergenerational transmission of positive health outcomes when participants become parents themselves.
Parenthood
Laura Lee McIntyre, along with Cameron Neece from Loma Linda University, collaborated on the PRO-Parenting Project, which supports parents of children with developmental delays. Funded by NIH, the project involved a diverse group of English- and Spanish-speaking families from Oregon and California. All participants received a 16-week evidence-based parenting intervention tailored for families with children with developmental delays. Half of the parents also received mindfulness-based stress reduction, while the other half received a psychoeducation intervention with peer support. The study found that both interventions reduced child behavioral concerns, but parents who received mindfulness-based stress reduction showed additional improvements due to decreased psychological distress, which indirectly benefited their children. This highlights the importance of supporting parents' mental health to maximize the effectiveness of parenting interventions.
Though the PRO-Parenting Project has concluded, many families are now involved in the COVID-Related Impacts on Students and Parents (CRISP) project, which examines the effects of the pandemic on children and families. The findings from both projects could provide valuable insights into enhancing parenting interventions and supporting family behavioral health, particularly in the context of additional stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Late Adulthood
Samantha Shune focuses on addressing the support needs of caregivers for older adults, particularly those with swallowing disorders caused by dementia or stroke. Swallowing disorders significantly impact the daily lives of older adults, affecting not only their physical health but also their mental and social well-being. Funded by NIH, Shune examines how swallowing disorders progress in dementia patients and the resulting caregiver burden. Because eating is central to culture and identity, so swallowing disorders can strain caregivers, who often lack the necessary support from the healthcare system, as they manage mealtimes and maintain their loved ones' quality of life. Her work underscores the importance of addressing both the physical and social impacts of caregiving for the aging population.
From prenatal development through the end of life, the research conducted and interventions developed by the Prevention Science Institute impact communities not only in Oregon, but across the nation.
— By Kelley Christensen, Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation