Connections are key to health

An internationally renowned Americanborn research scientist who is fascinated by babies’ innate capacity to connect has given her backing to the new £1 million BREAKTHROUGH Dundee mentoring scheme.

Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, who has been based within the Dundee University School of Psychology since 1993, said the project was of great interest to her as science now recognises the impact that positive and negative adult behaviour has on the development of children’s brains.

Dr Zeedyk, who completed her PHD at Yale University and stepped away from a full-time academic post to establish an independent training enterprise Connected Baby in 2011, was among the 160 guests who attended the BREAKTHROUGH Dundee launch.

And with relationships vital for human health, happiness and wellbeing, she particularly welcomes the aims of BREAKTHROUGH to embed positive relationships at the heart of helping young people who are struggling in some way.

“The key message I hope I can contribute is that having a safe, secure relationship actually changes your biology, which I think is incredibly interesting and exciting,” she told The Courier.

“That feeling there is one person in the world who is reliable, that if you are overwhelmed or sad or anxious you can go to. It literally changes our biology, it makes us feel safe. We have a whole science now that’s helping us understand that.”

Dr Susan Zeedyk.