Nadine Jait

LIFE Fellow since 2026, University of Zurich

I am a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University of Zurich, based at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich in the Department of Developmental Pediatrics. My research focuses on human development across the lifespan, with the aim of contributing to the understanding of how early life experiences shape adulthood and aging processes. 

My academic journey began at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology. After graduating, I moved to Switzerland to gain clinical experience in neurorehabilitation and later completed my master’s degree at the University of Zurich. 

As part of my doctoral work, I have the opportunity to contribute to the continuation of the Zurich Longitudinal Studies. This unique longitudinal project began in the mid-1950s, when children were enrolled and followed across their lives. Currently, we are conducting the next assessment wave in adulthood, which includes a comprehensive test battery of health and development. This new wave extends the dataset into later adulthood, which will allow us to study developmental trajectories across seven decades of life.