SfN Statement on Family Separation
Society for Neuroscience (SfN) President Richard Huganir, PhD, released the following statement addressing the current U.S. government practice of separating immigrant children from their parents at the U.S. border. SfN is the world’s largest organization dedicated to advancing the understanding of the brain and nervous system.
“As neuroscientists, we know that parental separation causes stress and trauma on the brain of a child. It is well-documented in the scientific literature that it can have long-lasting severe negative impact on brain development and on the behavioral health of children who experience it. SfN joins with other leading organizations such as the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Psychiatric Association, and many other groups in calling for an immediate end to this practice, as a matter of sensible health policy.”
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an organization of 37,000 basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and nervous system. Learn more about SfN advocacy priorities surrounding research funding and about brain science at BrainFacts.org.
