Tayná Albuquerque Tabosa is a Brazilian PhD candidate in Public Health Postgraduate Programme at Federal University of Ceará-UFC undertaking a CAPES (Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) funded sandwich doctoral period abroad, currently serving as a Visiting Researcher at King's College London.

She has a MA degree in Physical Therapy and Functionality from the Physical Therapy and Functionality Postgraduate Programme at Federal University of Ceará-UFC.She investigates early childhood development trajectories in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era.

Her work explores determinants shaping early childhood developmental changes, especially in contexts marked by social vulnerability. Her interests include longitudinal methods to track developmental outcomes in children disproportionately affected by public health emergencies. She aims to generate evidence that can inform policies for managing children and families disproportionately affected by the pandemic context, ensuring faster and more equitable responses.

Research 

Thesis title: 'Parenting practices and child development in Fortaleza-ceará in post-covid era'

This is a prospective cohort study, conducted in Fortaleza, using data from the Iracema-COVID cohort, which follows 351 mothers and their children who were born during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data was collected at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after birth, from the same mothers. The study collected variables including child and parent characteristics, family environment, and broader social conditions. It applies longitudinal analytical methods to examine how these factors can shape health related long term outcomes. The proposal aims to engage with major global issues, as investing in research that supports public policies focused on early childhood is a strategy with intergenerational and lasting impact. It is expected that the project will help promote more effective actions in Brazil and inspire initiatives in other countries committed to promoting equity.

Tayná's research also focuses on:

• Early childhood development in vulnerable contexts
• Impact of public health emergencies on early childhood development
• Social determinants influencing childhood development ad family health outcomes following public health emergencies
• Longitudinal methods for social and health research