About
I have a background in psychology and neuroscience applied to neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. I previously obtained an MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences from University College London (2016-2017) and a BA in Natural Sciences (Physiology and Psychology) from the University of Cambridge (2013-2016).
I am interested in understanding the socioenvironmental influences on motor, cognitive, social and emotional abilities developing in childhood and adolescence, which can in turn impact school adjustment, mental health, and educational attainment. I take an interdisciplinary approach drawing on developmental psychology, neuroscience, complexity science and epidemiology.
My current research at the University of Liverpool assesses longitudinal trends in child health inequalities and the importance of early childhood in shaping adolescent outcomes. My expertise is on inequalities in early childhood development/school readiness and mental health. I have collaborated on research on educational attainment within the group. I use causal inference methods to understand early childhood pathways that mediate the effect of socioeconomic conditions on health. The statistical methods I use include linear mixed-effect models, fixed and random-effect models, and Monte Carlo simulations.
In my postdoctoral and doctoral research at the University of Edinburgh (2022-2023) and University of Strathclyde (2018-2022), I examined motor differences in infancy/toddlerhood and how they may shape social and emotional development in preterm-born and autistic children. I used technology to measure movement in naturalistic situations, cross-disciplinary methods from complexity science and movement science, and psychological observations/assessments. I have carried out developmental assessments of children from 9 months to 5 years, such as eye-tracking and assessments of executive functioning. I am presently collaborating on projects assessing cognitive abilities, attachment, social development and associations with neurobiological differences in infants born preterm versus at term.