I am so honored to participate in LEND. Working with children, and especially infants, is a dream come true. I first became interested in mother-infant bonding while pursuing my Masters at the University of Oxford in England. I researched the biological substrates of mother-infant bonding as a precursor to romantic attachment. Eventually as a PhD candidate in the Psychology department, I developed research interests in how Life History Strategy Theory and childhood trauma impacts health outcomes. This combined with my interest in infants led me to pursue studying preterm birth from an evolutionary standpoint. I have written encyclopedia articles on Maternal-Fetal conflict as well as published on the effects of childhood trauma. I am excited to gain leadership experience and interdisciplinary training through LEND, so that in the future I may use my research to help improve the health of mothers and children.
