Yu Chen

Background

About Yu Chen

My research focuses on the early environments and experiences of children from socioeconomically and culturally diverse backgrounds, with particular emphasis on how positive, responsive parent-child interactions foster language development and how risk and resilience factors across multiple levels shape these environments and experiences. I have extensive experience analyzing mother-child and father-child interactions, assessing early developmental outcomes, and evaluating longitudinal randomized controlled trials of parenting interventions. I utilize advanced quantitative methods (e.g, SEM, latent growth curve, random forest) as well as qualitative methods. My postdoctoral training focuses on evaluating early parenting interventions designed to promote optimal outcomes for parents and children in communities facing health disparities and expands my inquiry into the broader ecological factors that influence children’s early development. My work aims to inform the development, adaptation, and implementation of preventive parenting interventions that effectively support young children and families impacted by structural disparities.