Faculty member recognized for child research

Brian D’Onofrio, an assistant professor in IU’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, received the 2011 Award for Early Career Research Contributions to Child Development.

He received the award March 31 at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting in Montreal.

The Society for Research in Child Development is a professional society for the field of human developmental psychology that focuses specifically on child development.
D’Onofrio, one of the five recipients this year, was honored for his work in developmental psychopathology.

His main research explores the causes of child and adolescent psychological and cognitive problems. He is interested in the mechanisms through which environmental risk factors cause children to have these types of problems.

“I was really surprised that I was awarded since there are a lot of great researchers within this area of child development,” D’Onofrio said. “It is a great honor for me to receive this award as an individual as well as for the department.”

The SRCD is the largest association devoted to basic science research on child development, with a membership of approximately 5,500 researchers, practitioners and human development professionals   worldwide.

“This is a very large and cross-disciplinary organization, and there is a lot of people they could have given this award to,” said Linda Smith, chairwoman of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at IU. “So to be identified by them is a big deal, and it’s a remarkable achievement for an early career in science.”

D’Onofrio’s SRCD award is presented to students and young professionals who are within five years of receiving their graduate degree.

“I think it just illustrates the fact that the research we’re doing in my lab is very rigorous and we’re in a department that is incredibly supportive of junior faculty,” D’Onofrio said. “And we’re quite well-known for being interdisciplinary, so we do cutting-edge research that cuts across boundaries.”

D’Onofrio, who joined the faculty of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in 2005, was also awarded the IU Outstanding Junior Faculty Award in 2010.
Recently, D’Onofrio has provided new insights on early risk factors for children and adolescents.

Smith said. “He is accomplishing his research in ways that are innovative and pushing the field forward, so he really is a major young researcher.”