Yu (Tina) Chen, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow- NYU Grossman School of Medicine
My research broadly investigates how children’s early environments influence their school readiness. I seek to understand the variability in young children’s home environment, including early relational health and parental investment, and its contribution to language and cognitive skills. Additionally, I study the mechanisms through which enhancing protective factors and/or alleviating risk factors in children’s proximal and distal environments influences developmental outcomes. I integrate quantitative and qualitative methods from psychology, human development, and clinical research to study these questions. A primary goal of my research is to inform the development and implementation of novel, effective, and scalable prevention programs for supporting healthy outcomes in young children experiencing structural and social inequities.
Prior to joining NYU, I received a Ph.D. degree in Human Development from the University of Maryland-College Park.
Recent News
- June 2026 | Paper published in Child Development: Parenting intervention reduces the association between neighborhood disorder and screen time in infancy.
- April 2026 | Paper published in Journal of Pediatrics: Parenting intervention promotes child mental health by enhancing cognitive stimulation at home.
- March 2026 | SRCD Emeritus Mentorship Program: Selected as an early career mentee, mentored by Dr. Linda Baker, Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.