Julie Meeks-Gardener

Julie Meeks Gardner is Professor of Child Development and Nutrition and Director of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Open Campus. She trained at the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, UWI, in human nutrition and child development, and did post-doctoral work on cross-cultural assessments of child cognition at the MRC Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge University, UK. Her research has focused on the nutritional status and development of children in difficult circumstances, and on child protection issues, including the developmental path of aggression and violence, the effects of violence on children, and intervention studies to reduce aggression among children and high-risk youth. More recently, she led an interventional study on children aging out of state care and was a co-investigator in a series of studies on remote acculturation and the impact of media literacy training on Jamaican children’s food intake. Prof. Meeks has published widely in international research journals and has authored or edited several book chapters and technical reports, books, and monographs. She serves on the boards of several Jamaican, Caribbean, and international organizations, and has received several awards for excellence in research and public service.