Arianna Gard

Arianna Gard, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Director of the Growth And Resilience across Development (GARD) Lab. She is a Faculty Affiliate in the Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience (NACS), the Social Data Science Center, and the Maryland Population Research Center. Her research focuses on how environmental factors, particularly neighborhood and family contexts, influence health and behavior across the lifespan, with a special emphasis on adolescents. Dr. Gard employs biological methodologies like functional MRI, genetics/epigenetics, and stress markers to examine neurobiological mechanisms of development. She advocates for sociodemographic diversity in neurobiological research, prioritizing inclusion of historically underrepresented groups.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, University of Michigan, 2019
• B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2010

Research Interests: Dr. Gard’s work integrates multiple levels of analysis—from genetic predispositions to social experiences—to understand developmental processes. She emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration and community-based participatory research to ensure equitable representation and relevance. Her lab studies how environmental adversity and promotive factors shape children’s behavioral, cognitive, and brain development, with a focus on neighborhood contexts and resilience mechanisms.

Lab and Community Engagement: The GARD Lab actively engages with families in the DC Metro Area, advocating for environmental equity and promoting community resilience through research. Dr. Gard mentors students in computational modeling, fMRI analysis, and environmental adversity research.