Delaina Carlson is a first-year Ph.D. student working with Dr. Rachel Chazan Cohen. Originally from Pennsylvania, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Applied Developmental Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. During this time, through research, internships, and work experience, she gained a love of working with infants and toddlers, along with their families. Over time, she has gained experience in child care, child care management, home visiting, early intervention, community organization, and research.
Most recently, Delaina worked for Dartmouth College in the Media and Health Behaviors Laboratory. Here she developed an interest in public health/nutrition messaging, mindfulness, and children’s media and health behaviors, including sleep, physical activity, and eating behaviors.
Her career has taken a winding path, but her ongoing mission is to support children and families. She hopes her experiences working with a variety of families across multiple settings will inform her future research. Specifically, she seeks to better understand individual and environmental factors that influence child development, family functioning, and health and wellness. Additionally, she plans to study the existing systems that support families, including child care, home visiting, and other interventions.
When not working, Delaina prefers to be outside with her husband. She loves to travel, hike, ski, garden, mountain bike, and rock climb. When inside, Delaina enjoys picking up new hobbies, whether it’s pottery, board games, or yoga.