October 17, 2024
The Nova Institute is pleased to announce our newest Nova Scholars, Christina Bethell, PhD, MBA, MPH and Diana H. Fishbein, PhD. Together, Dr. Bethell’s and Dr. Fishbein’s projects highlight the importance of integrating science, policy, and public engagement to drive change and promote child well-being.
Christina Bethell is a professor at Johns Hopkins University in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine. Her work advances a new science of thriving to promote the early and lifelong health of children and families by translating science into tools to inform and drive positive systems change. Dr. Bethell’s extensive research has led to the development and local-, state-, and national-level implementation of child and family health measures on aspects such as developmental screening, adverse childhood experiences, family resilience and connection, the Whole Child Risk Index, and more.
Dr. Bethell’s work as a Nova Scholar aims to establish sustainable partnerships, policies, and practices that promote the well-being of children and families, with a focus on early relational health and positive childhood experiences. Her project will leverage advancements in science, technology, and public awareness to scale evidence-based models and innovations. Dr. Bethell will build on her leadership in national initiatives such as the recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Launching Lifelong Health report, the national Engagement in Action Framework (EnAct!), and the Prioritizing Possibilities national agenda. Collaborating with other Nova Scholars and stakeholders, the project seeks to accelerate progress, create integrated systems that support child and family flourishing, and transform public health and health care by ensuring children thrive in environments that nurture their development.
Diana (“Denni”) Fishbein is a senior scientist at the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is also founder and co-director of the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives, a large professional organization dedicated to the transfer of knowledge from science to public health policies. Her career includes deep expertise in the fields of prevention science, neuroscience, and behavioral science, with a focus on the impact of social determinants of health on brain development and behavioral and mental health in children and adolescents.
Dr. Fishbein is also a policy advocate and has worked extensively with state and national legislators, agencies, and other organizations to promote well-tested strategies shown to support behavioral and mental health.
Dr. Fishbein’s Scholar project declares the next ten years the “Decade of the Child, ” envisioning a future of health and well-being for all children in the United States. To improve conditions under which child are born, live, learn, and grow, research must focus on developing and implementing evidence-based programs and policies that ameliorate adverse social determinants like poverty and inequities and foster nurturing environments and relationships. This project will work to garner support from the National Institutes of Health, the incoming administration, Congress, and the public by signaling a shift to a much-needed national strategy that prioritizes our children and future generations. Numerous organizations, societies, foundations, and individuals are endorsing this effort and will collaborate at all levels to create the political and public will to elevate whole child health and well-being in our discourse, practices, systems, and policies.
We’re excited to support these dedicated advocates for child well-being and flourishing. Read more about Nova Scholars Christina Bethell and Diana H. Fishbein.
