Dr. Kristina Olson: "Childhood Gender Diversity: Latest Findings and Current Controversies"

Abstract:  Upon birth, doctors, midwives, and parents around the world declare “It’s a boy” or “It’s a girl”. Today, more and more children are defying these declarations, identifying as a gender that did not align with this pronouncement at their birth.  In this talk, Dr. Olson will present work exploring the gender development and well-being of this generation of transgender and gender nonconforming children, suggesting ways in which their lives are both remarkably unique and surprisingly similar to their more gender conforming peers. She will address questions about the continuity and discontinuity of identity, examine our own researcher biases in assessing gender, and discuss the implications of social support and transitioning on well-being in transgender and gender diverse youth. 

Biography:  Dr. Kristina Olson received her Bachelors degree from Washington University in St Louis in 2003 and her PhD from Harvard University in 2008. She began her faculty career at Yale University before moving to the University of Washington where she is now a professor of psychology. Dr. Olson studies early social cognition, with a recent focus on early gender development. Her work has been supported by the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and the Arcus Foundation. She was a 2018 winner of the Alan T Waterman Award and is a current MacArthur Fellow.