Overview
Jennifer Lansford is the director of the Center for Child and Family Policy and S. Malcolm Gillis Distinguished Research Professor of Public Policy in the Sanford School of Public Policy.
Dr. Lansford's research focuses on the development of aggression and other behavior problems in youth, with an emphasis on how family and peer contexts contribute to or protect against these outcomes. She examines how experiences with parents (e.g., physical abuse, discipline, divorce) and peers (e.g., rejection, friendships) affect the development of children's behavior problems, how influence operates in adolescent peer groups, and how cultural contexts moderate links between parenting and children's adjustment.
Dr. Lansford's research focuses on the development of aggression and other behavior problems in youth, with an emphasis on how family and peer contexts contribute to or protect against these outcomes. She examines how experiences with parents (e.g., physical abuse, discipline, divorce) and peers (e.g., rejection, friendships) affect the development of children's behavior problems, how influence operates in adolescent peer groups, and how cultural contexts moderate links between parenting and children's adjustment.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
S. Malcolm Gillis Distinguished Research Professor of Public Policy
·
2023 - Present
Sanford School of Public Policy
Research Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy
·
2015 - Present
Sanford School of Public Policy
Director of the Center for Child and Family Policy
·
2022 - Present
Center for Child and Family Policy,
Sanford School of Public Policy
Recent Publications
Rumination Mediates the Relation of Hostile Attribution to Psychological Maladjustment Among Adolescents from Three Countries.
Journal Article Research on child and adolescent psychopathology · June 2025 Addressing global concerns about youth mental health requires understanding longitudinal pathways to psychological maladjustment among diverse youth. Hostile attribution bias (HAB) and hostile rumination (HR) are cognitive vulnerabilities associated with m ... Full text CitePositive risk taking across the world.
Journal Article Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence · June 2025 Around the world, adolescence is characterized by increased risk taking. Much research has focused on negative risk taking, but there is growing recognition of positive risk taking, which can benefit adolescent development. So far, research on positive ris ... Full text CiteHow do different food policies impact food insecurity and health? A review and meta-analysis
Journal Article Food Security · June 1, 2025 To achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 on food and nutrition security by 2030, greater attention to effective food policies that reduce food insecurity and improve health is warranted. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Intergenerational Persistence of Treatment Effects in Human Capital Interventions
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2029Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and Services
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Department of Health and Human Services · 2023 - 2028Mid-Life Health Inequalities in the Rural South: Risk and Resilience
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by University of Vermont · 2023 - 2028View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ·
2000
Ph.D.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ·
1997
M.A.
Duke University ·
1995
B.A.