Applied Developmental Psychology Research at UCLA: An Overview

Applied Developmental Psychology (ADP) at UCLA represents a dynamic intersection of research, education, and practical application, focusing on understanding and fostering healthy development from infancy through young adulthood. This article explores the various facets of ADP research at UCLA, highlighting its unique programs, research opportunities, and contributions to the field.

Institute for Developing Minds (IDP)

The Institute for Developing Minds (IDP) at UCLA serves as a vital teaching and research facility for the Department, facilitating both cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations of infants, toddlers, their parents, and caregivers. This allows for comprehensive studies of developmental processes over time and across different groups.

Undergraduate Opportunities: The ADP Minor

UCLA offers a distinctive ADP Minor program designed to provide undergraduate students with a comprehensive understanding of early childhood development. This program is unique in its emphasis on applying theoretical knowledge and research findings to real-world concerns.

Curriculum and Structure

The ADP Minor program integrates academic coursework with hands-on experience. Students participate in a three-quarter core course sequence, Psychology 134A/D, 134B/E, and 134C, which is exclusively available to ADP students within a specific cohort. These courses emphasize the practical application of theories, research methods, and findings.

Experiential Learning

A cornerstone of the ADP Minor is the internship component, where students gain first-hand experience in childcare centers throughout the community. This direct involvement allows students to contextualize their classroom learning and develop a deeper understanding of child development in applied settings. As one student noted, "I loved how the minor tied right in with the internship and how, unlike most courses taken, it was material that could be applied hands-on right away."

Community and Collaboration

The ADP program fosters a strong sense of community among students, faculty, and supervisors. This collaborative environment enhances the learning experience, allowing for ongoing dialogue between scholarship and practice. Students appreciate the opportunity to learn and work together, creating a supportive and enriching atmosphere. One student described the program as "a small community of students, professors, and supervisors who all shared the same passion for working with children."

Career Preparation

The ADP Minor prepares students for advanced training in various child-related professions, including research, clinical psychology, medicine, public policy, and early childhood education. The program equips students with practical skills and knowledge, making them competitive candidates for future academic and professional endeavors. One student, a History major, shared that the ADP minor "has influenced my career choice and has led me to pursue a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy," highlighting the program's impact on shaping career paths.

Research Opportunities for Undergraduates

UCLA provides numerous avenues for undergraduate students to engage in psychology research, both for course credit and through volunteer opportunities.

Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC)

The annual UCLA Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC) offers a platform for students to present their research findings to the academic community. This conference, held each May, allows students to showcase their work and receive valuable feedback.

Undergraduate Research Journal of Psychology (URJP)

The Undergraduate Research Journal of Psychology (URJP) is an online, peer-reviewed journal managed by undergraduate psychology students. It provides a venue for students to publish their research and gain experience in the publication process.

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UC LEADS

UC LEADS offers fellowships and guidance to promote undergraduate research over a two-year period, providing students with extended research opportunities and mentorship.

UCLA Undergraduate Research Week

UCLA Undergraduate Research Week, held each May, features poster presentations where students can showcase their research projects to a wider audience.

UCLA Interim Policy 906

UCLA Interim Policy 906 outlines the necessary safety requirements and prohibitions on research activities involving undergraduate student researchers and highly hazardous materials, ensuring a safe research environment.

Graduate Studies in Developmental Psychology

The Developmental Psychology Graduate Program at UCLA is research-intensive, focusing on human development from infancy to young adulthood. The program utilizes a variety of laboratory and naturalistic techniques to study developmental processes.

Research Focus

Faculty in this area study motivation, reward processes, emotional learning, emotion regulation, and risk-taking behavior across development. The program is heavily focused on research, with students beginning to work with a faculty advisor during their first quarter at UCLA.

Curriculum

The coursework includes two courses in statistics, one methodology course, three developmental courses, and three additional courses. Students also participate in developmental forums and seminars on teaching. Most students graduate in year 5 or 6.

Support for Student Research

The program provides excellent support for student research, fostering an environment conducive to scholarly inquiry and discovery.

Hernandez Lab: Advancing Understanding of Childhood Psychiatric Disorders

The Hernandez Lab at UCLA is dedicated to identifying predictive relationships between genetic variation, brain structure, and childhood psychiatric symptoms. Led by Dr. Leanna M. Hernandez, the lab integrates genetics, clinical phenotyping, and human brain imaging to understand the neurobiological basis of childhood brain and behavioral development.

Research Focus Areas

The Hernandez lab focuses on the genetic and neurobiological etiology of autism, schizophrenia, and related psychiatric disorders. They use neuroimaging and genomics methods to investigate the early underpinnings of excitation-inhibition balance and neurodevelopmental conditions like autism.

Key Personnel

Leanna M. Hernandez, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA, directing research on the genetic and neurobiological etiology of psychiatric disorders.
Lauren: A postdoctoral fellow combining neuroimaging and genomics methods to investigate the early underpinnings of excitation-inhibition balance and neurodevelopmental conditions like autism.
Emily: A doctoral student leveraging neuroimaging to study sleep regulatory mechanisms in mouse models.
Hoki: A Ph.D. student combining behavioral experiments, neuroimaging, and computational modeling to study the neural mechanisms underlying higher-order cognitive processes.
Sruthi: A Programmer Analyst investigating neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Autism.
Jack Dodson: A Programmer Analyst in the Hernandez lab.
Morgan: An undergraduate Neuroscience major researching how polygenic risk scores for epilepsy relate to resting-state functional connectivity in the adolescent brain.
Kimiya Natan: An undergraduate student interested in the genetic and neurodevelopmental mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a focus on investigating genetic variants linked to sleep in pediatric populations and their associations with autism-related traits.

Resources and Information

UCLA General Catalog

The UCLA General Catalog is published annually and provides comprehensive information about courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees. It is essential to consult the catalog for the most current and officially approved information.

Other UCLA Resources

Additional information about UCLA can be found in materials produced by the schools of Arts and Architecture, Dentistry, Education and Information Studies, Engineering and Applied Science, Law, Management, Medicine, Music, Nursing, Public Affairs, Public Health, and Theater, Film, and Television.

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