About Us
The CARE Lab is a part of the Department of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame and is directed by Dr. Elizabeth Shewark. Our research examines how genetic factors and environmental influences—such as family, school, and neighborhood—impact children’s social, emotional, and academic development over time. Using advanced methods, we study how these factors interact and shape youth outcomes.
Specifically, we focus on how the lived experiences of youth across family, school, and neighborhood contexts can foster resilience in the face of chronic and severe adversity, such as poverty and exposure to community violence. Our work seeks to better understand how both genetic influences, individual characteristics, and life experiences contribute to youth development and well-being, with a particular emphasis on the development of resilience from middle childhood through adolescence into early adulthood.
Questions about the CARE Lab? Reach out to us at carelab@nd.edu
