
Idan Shalev, Ph.D.
title
Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health
Mark T. Greenberg Early Career Professor for the Study of Children's Health and Development
Phone
814-865-5764Office
223 Biobehavioral Health Building
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
Brief Bio
Shalev’s research entails an interdisciplinary approach to identify mechanisms underpinning the biological embedding of stress across the lifespan. His research combines the disciplines of molecular genetics, endocrinology, neurobiology and psychology. This systems approach integrates data sources across multiple levels of genomic, biomarkers and phenotypic data. Specifically, using innovative research designs, his research tests the effects of stress from early life on change in telomere length and other biomarkers of aging across the life course, and the consequences of change in telomere length for physical and mental health problems. In the first study of children, Shalev and colleagues showed that cumulative violence exposure was associated with accelerated telomere erosion, from age 5 to age 10 years, for children who experienced violence at a young age. This finding provided initial support for a mechanism linking cumulative childhood stress to telomere maintenance, observed already at a young age, with potential impact for life-long health. Shalev is the Mark T. Greenberg Early Career Professor for the Study of Children's Health and Development and an author of more than 50 scientific articles and chapters.
Education
2004, B.Sc., Natural Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
2007, M.Sc., Neurobiology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
2010, Ph.D., Genetics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
2013, Postdoctoral, Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
Expertise
stress biology, telomere science, genomics, biological embedding, biological aging, biomarkers, evolutionary theories of aging, experimental designs
Research Interests
stress biology, aging, telomeres, genomics