Barry M Lester

Barry M Lester is a Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior and Pediatrics at Brown University's Alpert Medical School, and Director of the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk at Women & Infants Hospital. His research focuses on the interplay of biological and social risk factors affecting child development, including prenatal substance exposure, prematurity, maternal depression, and environmental toxicity.

• Key Affiliations: Brown Alpert Medical School, Women & Infants Hospital
• Research Themes: Developmental psychopathology, epigenetics, neurobehavioral outcomes, and cross-cultural studies of environmental influences

His work spans neurodevelopmental disorders, cortisol reactivity, and gene-environment interactions, with a strong emphasis on preventive interventions. Recent articles highlight NIH-funded studies on prenatal opioid exposure, epigenetic mechanisms, and the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program. He has served on NIH panels and authored over 250 publications.