How do children‘s relationships with siblings affect their overall social development? Family researcher Susan McHale, professor of human development at Pennsylvania State University, will discuss her research on the impact of sibling relationships on family dynamics at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development Thursday, Feb. 3, at 4 p.m.

A pediatrician at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children‘s Hospital at Vanderbilt has opened a clinic to help families tackle the problem of childhood obesity. Greg Plemmons, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics, opened the Weight Management Clinic in December 2004 and immediately had eight referrals.

Tennessee‘s TennCare Centers of Excellence (COE) for Children in State Custody has been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) as being one of the six most innovative programs in the country.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development has received a $100,000 grant to expand the Vanderbilt Kennedy Reading Clinic and Behavioral Analysis Clinic to serve more families who might not otherwise be able to afford their state-of-the-art services.

Thanks to a $250,000 grant from WTVF-NewsChannel 5, a reading program based at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children‘s Hospital at Vanderbilt will be able to put more books into the hands of toddlers, infants and preschoolers in Middle Tennessee.

How can the behaviors of low-income first-time mothers be changed to improve the lives of at-risk newborns? David Olds, professor of pediatrics, psychiatry and preventative medicine at the University of Colorado Health Center, will speak about simple strategies that make a positive difference in the lives of these mothers and their children at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development Thursday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m.