21 Jul 2026
Can children shape their parents’ lives? New study reveals influence may flow both ways
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) challenges the traditional view that influence within families flows only from parents to children. The research was led by former LCDS researcher Dr Evelina Akimova, now Assistant Professor of Sociology at Purdue University, and co-authored by Professor Melinda C. Mills, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science (LCDS) as part of Mills’ ERC Advanced Grant. The research shows how genetic influences can operate differently than has been examined before, by demonstrating that children’s genetically influenced characteristics may in fact shape important family outcomes over time.
