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PACEs Science

At PACEs Connection, we believe in following the research. In the last few years, researchers have started to examine the impacts of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) on children and adults. We at PACEs Connection are particularly interested in the in

Welcome

Welcome to PACEs Science

At PACEs Connection, we believe in following the research. The last 25 years have been rich with breakthroughs about the impacts of childhood adversity on health and well-being. Researchers have defined adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), explored their short- and long-term impacts on health, uncovered the biological mechanisms that mediate these processes, and discovered genetic changes that result from toxic stress. In the last few years, researchers have started to examine the impacts of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) on children and adults. We at PACEs Connection are particularly interested in the interplay between positive and adverse childhood experiences (PACEs).

The five parts of PACEs science are the following:

  • The epidemiology of adverse childhood experiences;
  • The neurobiology of toxic stress caused by ACEs (effects on the developing brain);
  • The health (biomedical) consequences of toxic stress;
  • The epigenetic consequences of toxic stress (how the effects of ACEs are passed on from generation to generation); and 
  • The research on positive childhood experiences and resilience, which shows that the brain is plastic and the body wants to heal.

Understanding PACEs Science is the foundation for making meaningful and impactful change. We encourage you to explore and share the many resources we have curated to help you learn more about PACEs Science. We have organized the resources into nine categories: