In this episode of The Brain Architects, Lindsey Burghardt, MD, MPH, FAAP, moderates a conversation with Alison Lee, MD, MS, and Joseph Allen, DSc, MPH, on how air quality during pregnancy and early childhood impacts lifelong health and development. The discussion has a special focus on indoor air, where we spend more than 90% of our time. They cover science-informed, practical strategies to improve indoor air, from adopting pollutant-free products and ventilation systems to advancing policy changes and building designs that prioritize health. They also offer resources for taking action in your community to ensure children and their caregivers have cleaner air to breathe.

In this episode of the Brain Architects, Lindsey Burghardt, MD, MPH, FAAP, moderates a conversation with Michelle Kang, CEO of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and Jennifer Vanos, PhD, Associate Professor in the School of Sustainability and the College of Global Futures at Arizona State University, on how climate change is affecting the experiences and exposures that shape early childhood development.

Building on this understanding, the episode explores practical, community-led solutions that are already helping to reduce harm and build resilience, from increasing access to shade and green space to implementing policy changes that support young children and their caregivers.

Related Resources:

• Webinar: How Communities Are Addressing the Impact of Extreme Heat on Young Children
• At a Glance: Extreme Heat and Early Childhood Development
• Policy Q&A: How Boston Is Implementing Solutions to Protect Young Children from Extreme Heat
• A Guide to Extreme Heat and Early Childhood Development

In this episode of the Brain Architects, Lindsey Burghardt, MD, MPH, FAAP, talks with Rebecca Spencer, PhD, a researcher on the science of sleep, about why sleep is so essential during early childhood. From brain architecture and emotional regulation to the role of naps and the importance of creating cool sleeping spaces in our warming world, Dr. Spencer explains how sleep shapes early childhood health and lifelong well-being.

With information for caregivers, educators, and policymakers, this conversation offers a deeper understanding of how creating environments that promote good sleep supports children’s learning, health, and resilience.

Access to clean water is too often determined by where we live and the political and economic influence we have to demand it. Yet water is a critical part of a child’s environment, and disruptions in its availability and quality can impact young children’s development and health, both in the moment and throughout their lives.

We explore how communities are mobilizing to address disparities in water access and climate-related threats like flooding. Hear from our panelists, Kealoha Fox, PhD, Climate Change Commissioner for the City and County of Honolulu, and Dana Eness, Executive Director of the Urban Conservancy, as they share practical, community-driven solutions to support children’s development, health, and well-being.

In April 2024, we hosted a webinar where we explored the science from our latest working paper, Extreme Heat Affects Early Childhood Development and Health. The Center’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Lindsey Burghardt, joined by Dr. Kari Nadeau, Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, brought the latest research and insights from the field to discuss the intersection of heat, early childhood development, and health equity. They also discussed actionable solutions to benefit children, caregivers, and communities now and in the future. The webinar discussion has been adapted for this episode of the Brain Architects podcast.

In October 2024, we hosted a webinar where we explored the science from our latest working paper, A Cascade of Impacts: The Many Ways Water Affects Child Development. The discussion was led by the Center’s Chief Science Officer, Lindsey Burghardt, MD, MPH, FAAP, and featured Devon Payne-Sturges, DrPH, Associate Professor with the Department of Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health at the University of Maryland, School of Public Health, and Nathaniel Harnett, PhD, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In this podcast, learn about the many ways water affects early childhood health and well-being as well as actionable strategies and policy solutions that can support clean water access for all children and their caregivers. The webinar discussion has been adapted for this episode of the Brain Architects podcast.

In March 2024, we continued our Place Matters webinar series with our third installment: “A Place to Play: Moving Towards Fairness of Place for All Children.” During the webinar, we explored the power of play in supporting early childhood development, as well as the importance of ensuring that children and caregivers have access to safe green spaces, like parks and playgrounds. Our panel of experts discussed how access to safe, stimulating, and joyful play space is not equally distributed across communities, along with strategies to work toward building a future where all children have a safe place to play. The webinar discussion has been adapted for this episode of the Brain Architects podcast.

In December 2023, we continued our Place Matters webinar series with our second installment: “Understanding Racism’s Impact on Child Development: Working Towards Fairness of Place in the United States.” During the webinar, Stephanie Curenton, PhD, Nathaniel Harnett, PhD, Mavis Sanders, PhD, and Natalie Slopen, ScD, discussed their latest research, exploring how racism gets “under the skin” to impact children’s development and how it contributes to unequal access to opportunity in the places where children live, grow, play, and learn. Together, they explored ways to dismantle systemic barriers and work toward solutions that promote healthy child development. The webinar discussion has been adapted for this episode of the Brain Architects podcast.