Kaya-Nadine Edmondson-Deigh is a research assistant in the child welfare program area. She graduated from The University of Maryland, College Park, with her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and criminology and criminal justice, with a minor in Law in Society. While at the University of Maryland, she studied the relationship between gene expression and childhood maltreatment on a youth’s likelihood of engaging in future violent offending, which sparked her interest in neurocriminology. She also conducted research on the racial achievement gap and differences in social mobility, for the Black Child and Family Lab. Additionally, she served as the service and social activism coordinator (2020-21) and the public relations co-chair (2021-22) for the Black Pre-Law Association at the University of Maryland, where she aided in cultivating a community of support for students of color interested in pursuing legal careers.

Prior to joining Child Trends, Kaya-Nadine interned for the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, where she conducted policy and legal research on the dangers of current youth justice legislation and the harmful narratives surrounding youth crime. In addition to neurocriminology, her research interests include juvenile offending and youth development.