Professor Linda Gilkerson is director of both the Irving B. Harris Infant Studies Program and the Faculty Development Project on the Brain. Her area of specialization is early intervention and her research addresses the needs of infants and families in a range of settings including neonatal intensive care units, Early Head Start, childcare and early intervention. She also directs the Fussy Baby Network, Erikson's first clinical initiative. The network provides support for families who have concerns about their baby's crying, sleeping, feeding, or temperament.
She also directs Project Connect, an initiative that provides parent-child therapeutic services to young children in the foster care services and their families, with the goal of strengthening and reuniting families.
Gilkerson has served on the Illinois Interagency Council for Early Intervention and has chaired the Early Care and Education Committee of the Futures for Kids Initiative. A board member of Zero to Three, she also chairs their Infant Mental Health Task Force.
Areas of Expertise
Early intervention with infants and families, with special emphasis on high-risk children in hospital settings; teacher and caregivers education about the brain development; and supporting the parents of fussy babies.