About us

The Centre for Child, Adolescent and Family Research at the University of Cambridge is committed to advancing interdisciplinary research to enhance our understanding of infant, child and adolescent development and mental health. Our goal is to conduct cutting-edge research that shapes global policy and practice, ultimately improving the lives of children and families around the world.

Our research spans the prenatal period through to adolescence. We use innovative methods - neuroimaging, longitudinal designs, randomised controlled trials and co-creative practices - to examine key domains, including emotional development, social cognition, decision-making, language and literacy, executive function, and the influence of families and peers.

By fostering collaborations with researchers from other disciplines and with stakeholder organisations, we strive to translate scientific insights into effective interventions and policies that promote the wellbeing of children, adolescents and families worldwide.

Research Interests

Our interests cover child and family topics, such as child development, experiences of parenthood and family relationships. Our research has dealt with topics from pregnancy, through all the years of childhood, to partnerships and parenthood, and later life. Although the majority of our members are psychologists, our multidisciplinary team has included, over the years: sociologists, anthropologists, biologists and bioethicists. The Centre has close connections with schools, assisted reproduction and neonatal clinics, adoption services, child psychiatry and clinical genetics departments, and family law professionals.

Seminars

The Centre runs regular seminars. Experts from a variety of disciplines and organisations talk about their work, and we also discuss our own projects. These meetings attract a diverse audience.

Funding

The Centre receives funding from research councils, government departments and charitable foundations. Examples of bodies currently providing funding include the Wellcome Trust, the ESRC and the US National Institutes of Health. Funders are listed under the individual projects.  For further information, please refer to the section on Research. If you are a prospective funder/donor, interested in funding Research, outreach or any other activities at the Centre, please contact Louise (lg648@cam.ac.uk) for an initial conversation.