My research interests centre around:

• Early social-emotional development 
• Parent-child interactions
• Child and parental mental health
• Ethnic and cultural diversity

Much of my research is focused on studying parent-child interaction and enhancing such interactions to optimise social-emotional development. My research cuts across a range of clinical, at-risk and normative groups, and I have an interest in addressing cultural and ethnic diversity.

I contribute to teaching on the BSc Psychology and MSc Clinical and Health Psychology. I teach primarily on developmental and clinical topics. I also supervise a number of project students at all levels (BSc, MSc, PhD, ClinPsyD). I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Within the BSc Psychology programme, I coordinate the International Study programme, and serve in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity in Teaching (EDIT) working group and on the School Academic Malpractice and Faculty Discipline Panels.

After completing my BSc and MSc (distinction) in psychology, I secured a Faculty bursary to pursue a PhD in developmental psychology at the University of Manchester, which kickstarted my career in Manchester. In 2003, I took a research fellow position in the School of Medicine, University of Manchester. I studied children of mothers with severe mental disorder and depression in the Centre for Women's Mental Health (led by Prof Kathryn Abel). During this time, I became incredibly interested in mother-infant interactions and attachment and my research evolved into studying parent-child relationships in other at-risk or vulnerable groups, such as autism risk. In 2009, I took on a lectureship, contributing to the MBChB degree programme (Medicine). I was postgraduate trainer, supervised postgraduate research students, and became part of the Social Development Research Group (led by Prof Jonathan Green). In 2017, I segued into the Division of Psychology of Mental Health, School of Health Sciences. This involved new roles teaching psychology at undergraduate and postgraduate level. In 2020, PRIME-RU (Perinatal Mental Health and Parenting Research Unit) was founded (led by Dr Anja Wittkowski) in which I am a Co-Director. I continue to pursue my research interests within PRIME-RU and by working closely with other colleagues and collaborators.

• Parent-child interaction (father-child, mother-child)
• Early social and emotional development
• Cultural and cross-cultural mental health and development
• Attachment relationships through the lifespan
• Child and adult/maternal mental health
• Evaluation of early parenting or parent-mediated psychosocial interventions

• BSc (hons). Psychology. University of Lancaster 1994-1997
• MSc (distinction). Applied Psychology. University of Manchester. 1997-1999 (part-time)
• PhD Psychology. University of Manchester. 1999-2002

• British Psychological Society (BPS) chartered psychologist
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) since 2019
• Associate Editor for academic journal, Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
• Editorial Board member for academic journal, Infant Behavior and Development 
• Member of Autism@Manchester 

Manchester Assessment of Caregiver-Infant Interaction (MACI-Infant)

In 2008, I developed this global measure of parent-infant/toddler interaction that is now used in research internationally. It has been used in a range of populations and to evaluate early psychosocial interventions. I provide annual small-group training for researchers interested in this measure (see 'links' above).

Manchester Child Attachment Story Task

I, alongside Prof Jonathan Green, provide occasional trainings in a story stem (doll play) measure of child attachment representations developed by Jonathan Green (see 'links' above). I have provided training and consultation internationally, including in Europe, Australia and Japan.

I sometimes work with local community groups in Manchester with the aim of enhancing child and parental mental health through short guided activities, relating story and metaphor. I welcome enquiries from community projects and schools.

I work with several international teams, bringing a developmental perspective with a focus on parental mental health.

I am Co-Director of PRIME, the Perinatal Mental Health and Parenting Research Unit (led by Dr Anja Wittkowski).

I also work with:

• Global Mental Health Research group on culturally-adapted parenting programmes (led by Prof Nusrat Husain)
• Social Development Research Group on neurodevelopmental risk (led by Prof Jonathan Green)
• Centre for Women's Mental Health on children of parents with mental disorders (led by Prof Kathryn Abel).

As part of the Mental Health teaching team in Psychology, I contribute to BSc, MSc and ClinPsyD programmes at the University of Manchester.

I teach on the BSc Psychology and MSc Clinical and Health Psychology on the following topics:

• Introduction to Developmental Psychology: Lab Lead (year 1)
• Beyond Nature Versus Nurture: Biological Underpinnings of Mental Health (Year 2)
• Developmental Perspectives to Mental Health (year 3 clinical psychology)
• Socioeconomic Status and Health (MSc; Health and Society)
• Child Mental Health: Concepts, Understanding and Interventions (MSc; Facilitating Change 2)
• Supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research projects

Prior to joining the psychology teaching team in 2017, I had enumerated many years experience teaching within the Medical degree and psychiatry. I have a good track record of working closely with students to get research published. I was also postgraduate trainer within the former Institute (IBBMH). 

For doctoral student supervision, see under 'research'.