The BioPsychosocial Development in Context (BpsyDeC) Lab
Bridging developmental science, family research, cross-cultural psychology, and social epigenetics to understand mental health risk and resilience
Welcome to the BioPsychosocial Development in Context (BPsyDeC) Lab, directed by Dr. Meingold Chan in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University.
We study how family and cultural experiences shape children’s mental health and development with an interdisciplinary approach, bridging developmental science, family research, cross-cultural psychology, and social epigenetics. Furthermore, we investigate how these early experiences can get “under the skin” and leave a lasting mark on the body, down to the molecular level through epigenetics. By combining advanced quantitative methods with cross-cultural and biosocial research, our team works to understand why some children develop healthily or even thrive after adverse experience while others struggle, and how family and culture shape that process.
What We Study
Diverse Family and Cultural Contexts
We study how parenting, family environment, and cultural factors shape children’s health and development across diverse contexts, including the U.S. (rural vs. urban), Hong Kong, mainland China, India, Congo, and beyond.
Behavioral Pathways & Biological Embedding
We examine how early social experiences impact children through behavioral pathways and “get under the skin,” leaving biological traces through epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation.
Methods and Measurement
We build and refine the measurement and analytical approaches researchers use to study human development rigorously, ranging from advanced quantitative methods to culturally sensitive approaches.
Research
The BPsyDeC Lab asks a central question: How does early experience contribute to children’s socioemotional adjustment and risk for mental health difficulties, across diverse family and cultural contexts? We approach this question through three connected lines of research: Diverse family and cultural factors, biobehavioral pathways, and advancing methods and measurements.
Learn MoreStudent Opportunities
Dr. Chan is accepting PhD students for Fall 2027 and recruiting Undergraduate Research Assistants and Volunteers for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027.
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