CCE Speaker series - Dr David Coall

The next CCE speaker series talk is by Dr David Coall from School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Australia. Visiting Professor, The University of Turku, Finland. Dr Coall will be presenting on "Grandparental investment: This is just the beginning!" Dr David Coall is a biological anthropologist and completed his PhD in the School of Anatomy and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia and his Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the Centre for Cognitive and Decision Sciences at The University of Basel, Switzerland. He has authored more than 50 publications across the fields of evolutionary anthropology, paediatrics, cognitive science, mental health, and maternal and child health.  His research focuses on applying evolutionary theory to understanding the complex inter-generational influences on health and behaviour within families. He is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Turku, Finland. Abstract: Exploring the lives of grandparents is a new and exciting field of enquiry. A multitude of factors influence the roles grandparents play in their families. Changing demographics mean there is greater demand and opportunity for actively engaged grandparents to help their families than ever before in human history. Grandparents have been filling this emerging niche because in some societies the role of community and government never has, or increasingly cannot, meet the diverse needs of families. Built on an empirical foundation of descriptive and correlational research, grandparent research has rapidly entered a phase where the potential causal relationships between grandparents’ roles and family health, well-being and structure can be scrutinised. High-quality theoretical work is now being applied to practical situations where grandparents are raising their own grandchildren. This evidence is now informing government policy. We have only just begun to explore the roles of grandparents in their families and communities.