The Globally Reduce Adverse Childhood Experience (GRACE) Initiative aims to advance and translate the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to improve the lives of children and families worldwide.
The Context
The early years of life comprise a crucial period during which humans go through critical physical, physiological, neurological, behavioral and emotional development. During this stage, not only are infants and children more vulnerable to biological pathogens and environmental toxins, they are also more susceptible to certain traumatic events, known collectively as adverse childhood experiences (ACE). These can include:
- Physical or emotional neglect
- Verbal, sexual and physical abuse
- Family dysfunction
- Other toxic stressors
ACEs have been linked to multiple hard-to-treat and expensive mental health, communicable and non-communicable diseases during childhood and into adulthood.
In some countries, as many as half of the entire population is exposed to at least one of the 10 original ACEs; thus, the long-term damage due to ACEs is high, especially in settings and communities that have been affected by war, famine and displacement.
While the science of ACEs and trauma-informed care is still in its early stages, the existing knowledge is rarely used in research efforts conducted in the global settings or incorporated into clinical practice. Lack of attention to ACEs undermines efforts to reduce health disparities in those communities. The GRACE Initiative will address these obstacles via several activities.
Focus Areas
Translational research & knowledge transfer
We conduct rigorous systematic reviews of the literature to understand what works and what doesn’t to mitigate the effects of ACEs and make that knowledge widely accessible in order to inform policy, design programs, identify research gaps and propose innovative ACE prevention approaches. We leverage our own existing methods applied to other diseases, incorporating economic evidence to identify return on investment for various interventions, thus enhancing the value of our work for policy and program development. Our research framework includes adversities beyond the 10 original ACEs assessed in the CDC and Kaiser Permanente landmark study.
While we recognize the needs of people who have been affected by ACEs, we strive to shift the health policy paradigm exclusively from treatment to include primary prevention. We will leverage the science of knowledge transfer to engage policy-makers, raise awareness about the importance of the root causes of the public health problems, and advocate for primary prevention of ACEs.
ACE-focused scientific community at UCSF and beyond
As one of the leaders in the field, UCSF is home to numerous individuals and research groups (see UCSF Related Organizations) engaged in groundbreaking ACE-related activities including education, research, prevention, treatment, advocacy and policy.
We aim to build on the work of these individual research initiatives and build a community of faculty, students, staff, affiliates and partners who share a passion for addressing childhood adversities. We plan to include people from the Bay Area community and partner with local, national and international communities and organizations. We will convene meetings and annual symposia within UCSF to foster collaboration and will serve as a liaison to domestic and global health ACE research activities and programs. Join our community and tell your stories here.
De-stigmatization program
We will raise awareness about ACEs in specific target communities and inspire and engage children, parents, healthcare providers, teachers, community leaders and other stakeholders with our mission. We seek to normalize the ACEs conversation via convening engaging community events and creating safe spaces for children and their families to connect, play, and learn. In particular, we will conduct research to cultivate and enhance the role of the father in resilience-building in children.
While almost all families and children can potentially benefit from our work, our initiative directly focuses on those who have been exposed to or are at risk of ACEs, especially in communities affected by war, forced displacement, or ongoing social and economic injustices worldwide. BRIX: Connect & Care is our early phase initiative that uses recycled LEGO™ bricks to build communities in refugee camps, underserved communities in Mexico and in Modesto, California.
Our People
Leadership & Staff
- Mohsen Malekinejad, MD, DrPH, Director
- George Rutherford, MD, MA
- Jess Ghannam, PhD
- Teresa Moeller
- Erin Barker, MA
Students & Volunteers
- Lucia Abascal, MD, MS
- Sonya Chalaka, MS
- Sonia Ghandi, MS
- Rafael Maravilla, MS
- Kezia Mostak, MS
- Nathan Quinn, MS
- Saba Rahman, MS
- Vahid Zandi, MD, MS
UCSF Advisors
External Advisors
- Gail Kennedy, MPH
- Elliot Marseille, MPH, DrPH
Our Partners
- ACEsConnection
- Global Health Economics Consortium
Phillip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies - Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health Initiative (RAHI)
UCSF Related Organizations
- Center for Child Protection
- Center for Health and Community
- Center for Health Equity
- Center for Nature and Health, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland
- Center for the Vulnerable Child
- Center for Vulnerable Populations
- Center to Advance Trauma-Informed Health Care
- Child Trauma Research Program
- Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools
- Mental Health Integration among Underserved and Minority Population
- National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center
- Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network
- Solid Starts Initiative