W Boyce, MD

Honors and Awards
  • Distinguished Contributions to Interdisciplinary Understanding of Child Development Award, Society for Research in Child Development, 2015
  • Board on Children, Youth and Families, National Academies of Science, 2013-now
  • Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Science, 2011
  • Alvin P. Shapiro Research Award, American Psychosomatic Society, 2009
  • Co-Director, Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 2008-now
  • National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Harvard University, 2005-2013
  • Alfred Childs Distinguished Service Award, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, 2005
  • American Pediatric Society, 1994-now
  • Research Network on Psychopathology and Development, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, 1994-2004

  1. Boyce WT. Epigenomic Susceptibility to the Social World: Plausible Paths to a "Newest Morbidity". Academic pediatrics 2017. PMID: 28652068


  2. Hagan MJ, Roubinov DS, Adler NE, Boyce WT, Bush NR. Socioeconomic Adversity, Negativity in the Parent Child-Relationship, and Physiological Reactivity: An Examination of Pathways and Interactive Processes Affecting Young Children's Physical Health. Psychosomatic medicine 2016. PMID: 27551989


  3. Boyce WT, Shonkoff JP. Commentary: The course of life and life, of course: a commentary on Ben-Shlomo, Cooper and Kuh. International journal of epidemiology 2016. PMID: 27880689


  4. Halpern J, Jutte D, Colby J, Boyce WT. Social dominance, school bullying, and child health: what are our ethical obligations to the very young? Pediatrics 2015. PMID: 25733722


  5. Razaz N, Tremlett H, Boyce WT, Guhn M, Joseph KS, Marrie RA. Impact of parental multiple sclerosis on early childhood development: A retrospective cohort study. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England) 2015. PMID: 25583843


  6. Boyce WT, Kobor MS. Development and the epigenome: the 'synapse' of gene-environment interplay. Developmental science 2015. PMID: 25546559


  7. Gersten O, Timiras PS, Boyce WT. DOES LOWER SUBJECTIVE SOCIAL STATUS YIELD RISKIER BIOMARKER PROFILES? Journal of biosocial science 2014. PMID: 25287447


  8. Razaz N, Hertzman C, Marrie RA, Tremlett H, Boyce WT. Children of chronically ill parents: the silence of research. Child: care, health and development 2014. PMID: 25109854


  9. Portilla XA, Ballard PJ, Adler NE, Boyce WT, Obradovic J. An integrative view of school functioning: transactions between self-regulation, school engagement, and teacher-child relationship quality. Child development 2014. PMID: 24916608


  10. Quas JA, Yim IS, Oberlander TF, Nordstokke D, Essex MJ, Armstrong JM, Bush N, Obradovic J, Boyce WT. The symphonic structure of childhood stress reactivity: patterns of sympathetic, parasympathetic, and adrenocortical responses to psychological challenge. Development and psychopathology 2014. PMID: 24909883


  11. Razaz N, Nourian R, Marrie RA, Boyce WT, Tremlett H. Children and adolescents adjustment to parental multiple sclerosis: a systematic review. BMC neurology 2014. PMID: 24886162


  12. Alkon A, Harley KG, Neilands TB, Tambellini K, Lustig RH, Boyce WT, Eskenazi B. Latino children's body mass index at 2-3.5 years predicts sympathetic nervous system activity at 5 years. Childhood obesity (Print) 2014. PMID: 24745554


  13. Ataee P, Hahn JO, Dumont GA, Boyce WT. Noninvasive subject-specific monitoring of autonomic-cardiac regulation. IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering 2014. PMID: 24658244


  14. Boyce WT. The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatric dentistry 2014. PMID: 24717746


  15. Alkon A, Boyce WT, Tran L, Harley KG, Neuhaus J, Eskenazi B. Prenatal adversities and Latino children's autonomic nervous system reactivity trajectories from 6 months to 5 years of age. PloS one 2014. PMID: 24466003


  16. Weikum WM, Brain U, Chau CM, Grunau RE, Boyce WT, Diamond A, Oberlander TF. Prenatal serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressant exposure and serotonin transporter promoter genotype (SLC6A4) influence executive functions at 6 years of age. Frontiers in cellular neuroscience 2013. PMID: 24130516


  17. Thomas MR, Wara D, Saxton K, Truskier M, Chesney MA, Boyce WT. Family adversity and autonomic reactivity association with immune changes in HIV-affected school children. Psychosomatic medicine 2013. PMID: 23766380


  18. Ataee P, Dumont GA, Noubari HA, Boyce WT, Ansermino JM. A novel approach to the design of an artificial bionic baroreflex. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference 2013. PMID: 24110562


  19. Kidd SA, Corbett BA, Granger DA, Boyce WT, Anders TF, Tager IB. Daytime secretion of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase in preschool-aged children with autism and typically developing children. Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2012. PMID: 22477468


  20. Ziol-Guest KM, Duncan GJ, Kalil A, Boyce WT. Early childhood poverty, immune-mediated disease processes, and adult productivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2012. PMID: 23045664


  21. Burns JG, Svetec N, Rowe L, Mery F, Dolan MJ, Boyce WT, Sokolowski MB. Gene-environment interplay in Drosophila melanogaster: chronic food deprivation in early life affects adult exploratory and fitness traits. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2012. PMID: 23045644


  22. Boyce WT, Obradovic J, Bush NR, Stamperdahl J, Kim YS, Adler N. Social stratification, classroom climate, and the behavioral adaptation of kindergarten children. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2012. PMID: 23045637


  23. Boyce WT, Sokolowski MB, Robinson GE. Toward a new biology of social adversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2012. PMID: 23045689


  24. Sheridan MA, Sarsour K, Jutte D, D'Esposito M, Boyce WT. The impact of social disparity on prefrontal function in childhood. PloS one 2012. PMID: 22563395


  25. Ataee P, Belingard L, Dumont GA, Noubari HA, Boyce WT. Autonomic-cardiorespiratory regulation: a physiology-based mathematical model. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference 2012. PMID: 23366757


  26. Alkon A, Boyce WT, Davis NV, Eskenazi B. Developmental changes in autonomic nervous system resting and reactivity measures in Latino children from 6 to 60 months of age. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP 2011. PMID: 22008788


  27. Bush NR, Obradovic J, Adler N, Boyce WT. Kindergarten stressors and cumulative adrenocortical activation: the "first straws" of allostatic load? Development and psychopathology 2011. PMID: 22018083


  28. Rintala P, Välimaa R, Tynjälä J, Boyce W, King M, Villberg J, Kannas L. Physical activity of children with and without long-term illness or disability. Journal of physical activity & health 2011. PMID: 22039124


  29. Essex MJ, Boyce WT, Hertzman C, Lam LL, Armstrong JM, Neumann SM, Kobor MS. Epigenetic vestiges of early developmental adversity: childhood stress exposure and DNA methylation in adolescence. Child development 2011. PMID: 21883162


  30. Kroenke CH, Epel E, Adler N, Bush NR, Obradovic J, Lin J, Blackburn E, Stamperdahl JL, Boyce WT. Autonomic and adrenocortical reactivity and buccal cell telomere length in kindergarten children. Psychosomatic medicine 2011. PMID: 21873585


  31. Quirós-Alcalá L, Alkon AD, Boyce WT, Lippert S, Davis NV, Bradman A, Barr DB, Eskenazi B. Maternal prenatal and child organophosphate pesticide exposures and children's autonomic function. Neurotoxicology 2011. PMID: 21741403


  32. Treadwell MJ, Alkon A, Styles L, Boyce WT. Autonomic nervous system reactivity: children with and without sickle cell disease. Nursing research 2011. PMID: 21532352


  33. Bush NR, Alkon A, Obradovic J, Stamperdahl J, Boyce WT. Differentiating challenge reactivity from psychomotor activity in studies of children's psychophysiology: considerations for theory and measurement. Journal of experimental child psychology 2011. PMID: 21524757


  34. Essex MJ, Armstrong JM, Burk LR, Goldsmith HH, Boyce WT. Biological sensitivity to context moderates the effects of the early teacher-child relationship on the development of mental health by adolescence. Development and psychopathology 2011. PMID: 21262045


  35. Ellis BJ, Boyce WT, Belsky J, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van Ijzendoorn MH. Differential susceptibility to the environment: an evolutionary--neurodevelopmental theory. Development and psychopathology 2011. PMID: 21262036


  36. Ellis BJ, Boyce WT. Differential susceptibility to the environment: toward an understanding of sensitivity to developmental experiences and context. Development and psychopathology 2011. PMID: 21262035


  37. Ellis BJ, Shirtcliff EA, Boyce WT, Deardorff J, Essex MJ. Quality of early family relationships and the timing and tempo of puberty: effects depend on biological sensitivity to context. Development and psychopathology 2011. PMID: 21262041


  38. Obradovic J, Bush NR, Boyce WT. The interactive effect of marital conflict and stress reactivity on externalizing and internalizing symptoms: the role of laboratory stressors. Development and psychopathology 2011. PMID: 21262042


  39. Ataee P, Hahn JO, Dumont GA, Boyce WT. A systematic approach to local stability analysis of cardiovascular baroreflex. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference 2011. PMID: 22254406


  40. Sarsour K, Sheridan M, Jutte D, Nuru-Jeter A, Hinshaw S, Boyce WT. Family socioeconomic status and child executive functions: the roles of language, home environment, and single parenthood. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS 2010. PMID: 21073770


  41. Boyce WT, Den Besten PK, Stamperdahl J, Zhan L, Jiang Y, Adler NE, Featherstone JD. Social inequalities in childhood dental caries: the convergent roles of stress, bacteria and disadvantage. Social science & medicine (1982) 2010. PMID: 20870333


  42. Treadwell MJ, Alkon A, Quirolo KC, Boyce WT. Stress reactivity as a moderator of family stress, physical and mental health, and functional impairment for children with sickle cell disease. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP 2010. PMID: 20585265


  43. Jutte DP, Brownell M, Roos NP, Schippers C, Boyce WT, Syme SL. Rethinking what is important: biologic versus social predictors of childhood health and educational outcomes. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) 2010. PMID: 20375842


  44. Obradovic J, Bush NR, Stamperdahl J, Adler NE, Boyce WT. Biological sensitivity to context: the interactive effects of stress reactivity and family adversity on socioemotional behavior and school readiness. Child development 2010. PMID: 20331667


  45. Doméjean S, Zhan L, DenBesten PK, Stamper J, Boyce WT, Featherstone JD. Horizontal transmission of mutans streptococci in children. Journal of dental research 2010. PMID: 19918090


  46. Nuru-Jeter AM, Sarsour K, Jutte DP, Boyce WT. Socioeconomic predictors of health and development in middle childhood: variations by socioeconomic status measure and race. Issues in comprehensive pediatric nursing 2010. PMID: 20384474


  47. Oveis C, Gruber J, Keltner D, Stamper JL, Boyce WT. Smile intensity and warm touch as thin slices of child and family affective style. Emotion (Washington, D.C.) 2009. PMID: 19653777


  48. Boyce WT. The family is (still) the patient. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 2009. PMID: 19652112


  49. Kim YS, Boyce WT, Koh YJ, Leventhal BL. Time trends, trajectories, and demographic predictors of bullying: a prospective study in Korean adolescents. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2009. PMID: 19766940


  50. Obradovic J, Boyce WT. Individual differences in behavioral, physiological, and genetic sensitivities to contexts: implications for development and adaptation. Developmental neuroscience 2009. PMID: 19546567


  51. Shonkoff JP, Boyce WT, McEwen BS. Neuroscience, molecular biology, and the childhood roots of health disparities: building a new framework for health promotion and disease prevention. JAMA 2009. PMID: 19491187


  52. Kishiyama MM, Boyce WT, Jimenez AM, Perry LM, Knight RT. Socioeconomic disparities affect prefrontal function in children. Journal of cognitive neuroscience 2009. PMID: 18752394


  53. Essex MJ, Kraemer HC, Slattery MJ, Burk LR, Boyce WT, Woodward HR, Kupfer DJ. Screening for childhood mental health problems: outcomes and early identification. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines 2009. PMID: 19432682


  54. Simons-Morton B, Pickett W, Boyce W, ter Bogt TF, Vollebergh W. Cross-national comparison of adolescent drinking and cannabis use in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands. The International journal on drug policy 2009. PMID: 19303761


  55. Kim YS, Leventhal BL, Koh YJ, Boyce WT. Bullying increased suicide risk: prospective study of Korean adolescents. Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research 2009. PMID: 19123106


  56. Godeau E, Nic Gabhainn S, Vignes C, Ross J, Boyce W, Todd J. Contraceptive use by 15-year-old students at their last sexual intercourse: results from 24 countries. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 2008. PMID: 18180415


  57. Quas JA, Carrick N, Alkon A, Goldstein L, Boyce WT. Children's memory for a mild stressor: the role of sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal. Developmental psychobiology 2006. PMID: 17111409


  58. Boyce WT, Essex MJ, Alkon A, Goldsmith HH, Kraemer HC, Kupfer DJ. Early father involvement moderates biobehavioral susceptibility to mental health problems in middle childhood. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2006. PMID: 17135997


  59. Essex MJ, Kraemer HC, Armstrong JM, Boyce WT, Goldsmith HH, Klein MH, Woodward H, Kupfer DJ. Exploring risk factors for the emergence of children's mental health problems. Archives of general psychiatry 2006. PMID: 17088505


  60. Kim YS, Leventhal BL, Koh YJ, Hubbard A, Boyce WT. School bullying and youth violence: causes or consequences of psychopathologic behavior? Archives of general psychiatry 2006. PMID: 16953006


  61. Alkon A, Lippert S, Vujan N, Rodriquez ME, Boyce WT, Eskenazi B. The ontogeny of autonomic measures in 6- and 12-month-old infants. Developmental psychobiology 2006. PMID: 16568414


  62. Torsheim T, Currie C, Boyce W, Samdal O. Country material distribution and adolescents' perceived health: multilevel study of adolescents in 27 countries. Journal of epidemiology and community health 2006. PMID: 16415267


  63. Zambon A, Boyce W, Cois E, Currie C, Lemma P, Dalmasso P, Borraccino A, Cavallo F. Do welfare regimes mediate the effect of socioeconomic position on health in adolescence? A Cross-national comparison in Europe, North America, and Israel. International journal of health services : planning, administration, evaluation 2006. PMID: 16878395


  64. Pearson SR, Alkon A, Treadwell M, Wolff B, Quirolo K, Boyce WT. Autonomic reactivity and clinical severity in children with sickle cell disease. Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society 2005. PMID: 16362543


  65. Wilson N, Syme SL, Boyce WT, Battistich VA, Selvin S. Adolescent alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use: the influence of neighborhood disorder and hope. American journal of health promotion : AJHP 2005. PMID: 16171156


  66. Boyce WT, Ellis BJ. Biological sensitivity to context: I. An evolutionary-developmental theory of the origins and functions of stress reactivity. Development and psychopathology 2005. PMID: 16761546


  67. Ellis BJ, Essex MJ, Boyce WT. Biological sensitivity to context: II. Empirical explorations of an evolutionary-developmental theory. Development and psychopathology 2005. PMID: 16761547


  68. Boyce WT. Social stratification, health, and violence in the very young. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2004. PMID: 15817730


  69. Pearson SR, Boyce WT. Consultation with the specialist: the vulnerable child syndrome. Pediatrics in review 2004. PMID: 15466135


  70. Quas JA, Bauer A, Boyce WT. Physiological reactivity, social support, and memory in early childhood. Child development 2004. PMID: 15144487


  71. Bauer AM, Boyce WT. Prophecies of childhood: how children's social environments and biological propensities affect the health of populations. International journal of behavioral medicine 2004. PMID: 15496344


  72. Kraemer HC, Measelle JR, Ablow JC, Essex MJ, Boyce WT, Kupfer DJ. A new approach to integrating data from multiple informants in psychiatric assessment and research: mixing and matching contexts and perspectives. The American journal of psychiatry 2003. PMID: 12944328


  73. Alkon A, Goldstein LH, Smider N, Essex MJ, Kupfer DJ, Boyce WT. Developmental and contextual influences on autonomic reactivity in young children. Developmental psychobiology 2003. PMID: 12471637


  74. Quas JA, Murowchick E, Bensadoun J, Boyce WT. Predictors of children's cortisol activation during the transition to kindergarten. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP 2002. PMID: 12394518


  75. Wilson N, Battistich V, Syme SL, Boyce WT. Does elementary school alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use increase middle school risk? The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2002. PMID: 12039514


  76. Boyce WT, Essex MJ, Alkon A, Smider NA, Pickrell T, Kagan J. Temperament, tympanum, and temperature: four provisional studies of the biobehavioral correlates of tympanic membrane temperature asymmetries. Child development 2002. PMID: 12038547


  77. Essex MJ, Boyce WT, Goldstein LH, Armstrong JM, Kraemer HC, Kupfer DJ, MacArthur Assessment Battery Working Group. The confluence of mental, physical, social, and academic difficulties in middle childhood. II: developing the Macarthur health and Behavior Questionnaire. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2002. PMID: 12014792