Meeting

2010 marks the 10th anniversary of the Institute of Medicine-National Research Council publication of From Neurons to Neighborhoods. Over this past decade, significant advances have emerged in the science of early childhood development and its underlying neurobiology, as well as in the extent to which this knowledge has catalyzed efforts to improve the lives of young children.

On October 28, 2010, the Board on Children, Youth, and Families convened a workshop to celebrate the anniversary of this report. The workshop, which includes a webcast, reviewed advances in scientific research as well as opportunities to build on existing best practices and enhance the transition into a new era in early childhood policy. The workshop featured presentations by Jack Shonkoff from Harvard University, chair of the original study, Deborah Phillips from Georgetown University, the study director, and other researchers, government officials, and leaders in the field of early childhood health and development. The participants focused on the progress made in integrating child development research, neuroscience, and molecular genetics as well as how science can be mobilized to promote innovation and shape public policy in the next decade.