Abbey Alkon, PhD, RN, FAAN

As a Professor in the Family Health Care Nursing department at UCSF, my career has been dedicated to conducting impactful research and addressing important issues in the field of family health care. I have authored several research publications covering a wide range of topics, including early care and education programs/child care, environmental exposure, autonomic nervous system, and healthy habits including physical activity and nutrition. My work has explored the pesticide exposures in child care centers, the effects of child care health consultation on health and safety standards in child care programs, the effects of prenatal mindfulness intervention on infant autonomic and behavioral reactivity, and the developmental consequences of early life stress on children's physiological regulation and behavior.

I have had the privilege of serving as the Principal Investigator for projects sponsored by the NIH, focusing on reducing pesticide exposures to preschool-age children in California child care centers and examining stress, autonomic reactivity, and mental health in low-income, Latino children. Through my research, I aim to contribute to our understanding of how to improve the health and well-being of young children and their families.