Cullin Howard

Human Development and Family Science

Howard's childhood sparked his passion for developmental science

Hometown

Gilbert, Arizona

Major/Minor

M.S. & Ph.D. Human Development and Family Science, Emphasis in Quantitative Methodology

Activities/Honors

• Recipient, Graduate School Doctoral Fellowship, University of Georgia
• Co–Principal Investigator, Mental Research Institute grant examining parent–child physiological synchrony and youth resilience
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals including Pediatrics, Translational Psychiatry, Developmental Psychology, Adolescent Research Review, and Development and Psychopathology
• Completed TV and radio interviews to share findings from a first-authored meta-analysis published in Adolescent Research Review
• More than 30 conference presentations and posters at national and international meetings, including multiple primary-author presentations and symposium talks
• Contributed to an invited book chapter on conceptual and methodological issues in ACEs and resilience.
• Research appointments with the Family Interactions Project (PI: Drew Abney), Parents and Children Together Project (PI: Geoffrey Brown), and Georgia Center for Developmental Science (PI: Assaf Oshri)
• Contributed to the design, data collection, and analysis of a multimodal home-based pilot study integrating video plethysmography, ECG, fNIRS, and family interactions to evaluate stress-related physiological processes
• Trained in advanced quantitative methods including longitudinal SEM, multilevel modeling, time-series analysis, nonlinear modeling, and neuroimaging data analysis
• Engaged in interdisciplinary neuroscience research spanning autonomic physiology, functional connectivity, and white matter development.
• Co-instructor, HDFS 7170: Statistics in Human Development and Family Science (with Dr. Assaf Oshri).
• Peer reviewer for journals including Journal of Adolescence, Development and Psychopathology, Imaging Neuroscience, and Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

Why I chose my major

I chose to study human development because I wanted to explore how parenting can support resilience in childhood. Growing up in a family that fostered infants and toddlers, I saw firsthand the profound role a supportive family environment can play in helping children adapt, particularly those facing adversity. This inspired me to understand the mechanisms through which families promote healthy development and coping in challenging circumstances.

What I like most about FACS

What I like most about FACS is its combination of supportive faculty and abundant opportunities for student growth. Faculty members actively mentor students, open doors to research collaborations, and encourage engagement in conferences, publications, and interdisciplinary projects. I also appreciate how the department is simultaneously welcoming, supportive, and intellectually rigorous, offering a broad range of expertise to help students explore and expand their interests.

Post-graduation plans

I will continue my research as a post-doctoral Research Associate at the Georgia Center for Developmental Science, under the direction of Dr. Assaf Oshri.