Center for Family Research | Making the invisible visible

So motivated to learn more, Brody flew to Chicago and back in one day where Chen and Miller had just started at Northwestern University. Their coffee shop chat became the beginning of a long-term collaboration.

As a result, many CFR projects added biological and brain-imaging methods to studies that had previously relied on behavioral measures. The work added complexity and more demanding tasks to projects, but has, “allowed us to begin to chronicle how issues like poverty, disadvantaged neighborhoods, and racial discrimination during late adolescence and during young adulthood is changing the biology of these young people,” says Brody.

Among other things, the work has shown that protective parenting practices can help shield youth from the negative effects of these stressors on their physical and mental health. That work continues today.

“We will be talking about your work for decades to come.”

The last chapter

Brody’s work, and the decades of successful funding, research, and findings, have been well-regarded among other researchers and those who work directly with the population. He has received numerous awards, including being named a Regent’s Professor by UGA which recognizes faculty whose work is recognized both nationally and internationally as innovative, being a member of a small delegation to the White House to promote prevention efforts for American youth, and was given a lifetime achievement award from the Association for Psychological Science.

As Aria Crump from the National Institutes of Health said to him recently, “we will be talking about your work for decades to come.”

Brody decided in 2023 that it was the time to focus on his family, including his grandchildren, and pursue other personal interests and travel while he still could. He says that’s not because the work is done by any means. “My hope is that CFR continues the legacy of cutting-edge research,” he says, hoping that investigators explore other ways of shifting people off the tracks that deter their psychological health and their physical well-being.

“It’s easy to say those words, he says, “but the work that goes into doing those things is tremendous.”

Though proud of what he has accomplished, Brody has always been keenly aware that he did not do it alone. When meeting with team members of various projects, he would often end the meeting with “a science moment,” says CFR associate director, Anita Brown. Then he would share findings from a manuscript or publication that he was really excited about. Brown says it was his way of saying, “look how all your hard work pays off – look what we’ve learned because of the work of this team.”

Brody has long given such credit to the team at CFR. When giving presentations around the globe, he usually ended them with a photo of CFR staff and researchers—attributing the findings of research projects to the dedication and hard work of team members. It seems fitting to end this summary of his career that way as well. The accomplishments of CFR are the result of the hard work of project coordinators, student workers and others, and of course, Gene Brody.