Alan Stein is Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Oxford and Honorary professor in the School of Public health at the University of Witwatersrand. South Africa. His main area of research concerns the development of children and adolescents in the face of adversity. His group is interested in a range of adversities which might potentially affect children’s development including, parental physical illness (HIV, COVID and cancer), parental psychological disorders (depression, anxiety and eating disorders) as well as poverty and malnutrition. A key aspect of this work is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying child and adolescent development and to identify risk and protective processes. Ultimately the priority is to develop interventions, especially in resource limited settings. More recently this has involved the use of digital technology. He has led three Lancet series on: Perinatal Mental Health (with Louise Howard), The Mental Health of Refugee and Internally Displaced Children; and The Communication of Life-Threatening Conditions to Children.
