Aug 15, 1957

Pediatrician whose research focused on the comprehensive identification of factors influencing children’s development through childhood. Professor Samms-Vaughan led one of the earliest and most comprehensive longitudinal studies of child development in a developing country.

The comprehensive nature of the studies has led to policy and programmatic interventions in the development of Jamaica’s National Parenting Policy, the improvement of early childhood development, interventions to reduce violent and aggressive behaviours and guidelines on television viewing by the Broadcasting Commission. In 2007 she was appointed UWI’s first Professor of Child Health and Child Development. Professor Samms-Vaughan established the Child and Family Clinic for developmental and behavioural disorders. She became the first Chairman of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) in 2003 and was seconded to the Early Childhood Commission for three (3) years.