Penn State Child Health Research Center

Honored to share highlights from Dr. Jennifer Savage Williams, Director of the Child Health Research Center, presenting at the 34th Novo Nordisk Foundation Science Cluster Conference in Denmark:
“Prevention of Childhood Obesity: Body, Brain & Society.”

Dr. Savage Williams was invited to speak on the critical role of responsive parenting in pediatric obesity prevention, emphasizing how early family interactions, caregiving practices, and supportive environments shape lifelong health trajectories.

Conference: https://sciencecluster.dk/event/body-brain-society/

We’re hiring!

The Child Health Research Center at Penn State is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar to join our research team at University Park.
If you’re passionate about advancing child health and working in a collaborative research environment, we’d love to hear from you.

👉 Apply here:

Postdoctoral Scholar for the Child Health Research Center APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the universi...

The Child Health Research Center (CHRC) will be hosting our spring symposium, “The Future of Child Health: Supporting Every Child in a Changing Landscape,” on April 8, 2026, from 12:30–5:00 PM at the Nittany Lion Inn. The event will be offered both in person and virtually. Register today! https://redcap.ctsi.psu.edu/surveys/?s=J7CPEAX9MXJ4KPEF

The symposium will be facilitated by Jennifer Savage Williams, Diane Williams, and Christian Connell, and is co-sponsored by Penn State’s Child Health Research Center, the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network, and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

This free event will feature an outstanding lineup of speakers, including:
Susan Rivera, PhD, University of Maryland, College Park
Kerri Staples, PhD, Texas Woman’s University
Kristin Rispoli, PhD, Michigan State University
Sarah Jaser, PhD, Vanderbilt University
Catherine Taylor, PhD, Boston College
Kierra Sattler, PhD, University of North Carolina Greensboro
Philip Fisher, PhD, Stanford University
Hannah Schreier, PhD, Penn State

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/everyday-routines-early-infancy-may-shape-later-obesity-risk-study-finds

Everyday routines in early infancy may shape later obesity risk, study finds | Penn State University A new study from researchers at Penn State identified nine everyday behaviors around caregivers’ feeding practices, infant sleep, interactive play and how infants respond to food during the first two months of an infant’s life can be linked to higher weight just a few months later.

The Child Health Research Center is organizing a food drive to help support families in need this holiday season.

Donations can be dropped off in Noll Lab and will be delivered to the State College Area Food Bank on December 5th. See their website for greatest needs: https://scfoodbank.org/

Thanks in advance for your help in supporting our local community!

We Are.... HIRING! The Child Health Research Center is accepting applications for a Senior Level Biostatistician. Apply here: https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Staff/job/Penn-State-University-Park/Senior-Biostatistician---Child-Health-Focus_REQ_0000072100-2?fbclid=IwY2xjawNaX5VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkdlCaIp1mf-gIBy8xqxXdW7T9yMkKwvgU0OQYQIspF8ixdJnFyC0HpKl9B5_aem_CMQPXN6NXzaTIyirHBmN1Q

Senior Biostatistician - Child Health Focus APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the universi...

We are recruiting 7-10 year olds and their parents for a study about interception (our sense of bodily feelings like hunger, thirst, hot, cold, etc.) and children's eating behaviors! Visit https://redcap.link/ieatstudy or email [email protected] for more information!

We are excited to announce that the PSU Center for Childhood Obesity Research (CCOR) has a new name! Read the article below to learn about the Child Health Research Center's expanded mission, and visit our new webpage at childhealth.psu.edu!

Newly named Child Health Research Center to advance health of children, families | Penn State University Recognizing the interconnectedness of children’s physical, mental and emotional health, the Center for Childhood Obesity Research has been reimagined and renamed the Child Health Research Center to reflect a broader range of child health research initiatives committed to improving child health and...

Responsive parenting may help reduce behaviors linked to childhood obesity | Penn State University Research from Yining Ma and Jennifer Savage-Williams of the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and Lisa Bailey-Davis of Geisinger College of Health Sciences found that when new moms received guidance on how to respond to their babies’ needs, they were less likely to use non-responsive p...

Congrats to our McNair Scholar Anjolie Suberro, who presented her summer research project yesterday at the The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School SROP Research Symposium! Anjolie is a Penn State Biobehavioral Health major and has worked on several research projects at CCOR since her freshman year at Penn State. WE ARE proud of you Anjolie!