The Team
Who We Are
Dr. Erin O'Connor
Co-Founder
As the Director of the Early Childhood Education program at NYU and a Full Professor, she brings a wealth of expertise to Nested. With a Doctorate from Harvard and Master's degrees from Fordham and Columbia, Dr. O'Connor’s research focuses on relationship-building interventions that enhance language and social development in pre-kindergarten children from low-income backgrounds. Her work, published in leading journals and funded by the Spencer Foundation and the Institute for Education Sciences, drives meaningful change. She also co-hosts the podcast "Parenting Understood," translating research into actionable insights for caregivers.
Dr. Robin Neuhaus
Co-Founder
Dr. Robin Neuhaus is dedicated to making child development research accessible and impactful. With a PhD from NYU and supported by a prestigious Institute of Education Sciences fellowship, she combines rigorous quantitative training with deep insights into educational and developmental psychology. Dr. Neuhaus specializes in science communication, ensuring that complex research is understandable and useful for parents and caregivers.
Dr. Natalie Brito
Board Member
Dr. Natalie Hiromi Brito is a developmental psychologist dedicated to understanding how early social and cultural contexts shape neurocognitive development. Her research focuses on the early home environment's impact on attention, memory, and socio-emotional skills during the first three years of life, aiming to support caregivers and foster healthy child development.
The Nested Mission
Rigor
Education
Empowerment
Change
We believe in fighting for the support families deserve.
Nested champions the urgent transformation of family-focused policies and support systems through rigorous research and data-driven advocacy. Recognizing the family as a dynamic system, we aim to support every member, including mothers, birthing people, nonbirthing caregivers, teens, and children. We confront critical issues such as affordable childcare, the teen mental health crisis, perinatal mental health among birthing and non-birthing parents, mental health and menopause, eldercare and mental health, and the necessity of paid parental leave. By conducting comprehensive research studies, we mobilize families, businesses, and communities to turn collective frustration into action. Together, we are building a future where every family member thrives in a society that values their well-being and rights above all.