About this session

Thursday, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Biological Embedding of Trauma in War and Displacement: Intergenerational Mechanisms and Innovations

As of 2024, approximately 468 million children have been affected by armed conflict, with 47 million forcibly displaced. Despite the profound impact of these experiences, war-affected and displaced children remain underrepresented in neurobiological research. This symposium explores the biological embedding of trauma, examining how war and displacement influence neurobiological outcomes across generations. The first paper reviews 36 studies examining the genetic, epigenetic, and physiological impacts of war trauma on displaced populations, highlighting the need for more robust research designs to better understand how trauma becomes biologically embedded in youth. The second paper uses longitudinal data from war-affected families in Sierra Leone, showing that emotional regulation difficulties in former child soldiers are shared in their children, pointing to the intergenerational transmission of trauma. While new data on physiological and molecular mechanisms will be presented, current findings already demonstrate how the aftermath of war persists across generations. The final paper uses machine learning to predict parasympathetic regulation in 1-month-old Rohingya infants born in refugee camps. By integrating displacement-related prenatal and postnatal factors, including maternal war trauma, the study identifies key predictors of infant autonomic function. Dr. Alice Wuermli, Director of Research and Innovation at NYU-Global TIES, will integrate these findings and discuss the role of neurobiological research in informing interventions, drawing on her expertise in using biomarkers with vulnerable populations and her extensive work with intervention organizations. An early-career panel from multiple institutions offers fresh perspectives, aiming to stimulate discussion and chart new directions for research on war and displacement.

Paper #1
Title	Biological signatures of war and displacement: A review with future directions for research and practice
Presenting author	Jelena Jankovic-Rankovic, Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, United States

Paper #2
Title	Intergenerational Patterns of Biobehavioral Dysregulation in War-Affected Families in Sierra Leone
Presenting author	Dr. Candace Jasmine Black, Ph.D., Boston College School of Social Work, United States

Paper #3
Title	Biological Embedding of Adversity Related to Forced Displacement: Predicting Infant Parasympathetic Regulation Using Machine Learning
Presenting author	Elisa Ugarte, Global TIES for Children, Chile

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Session chair
Elisa Ugarte, Global TIES for Children, Chile

Discussant
Alice Wuermli, Ph.D., Global TIES for Children, United States

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