Jana Kreppner, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Jana Kreppner is Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Southampton. She completed her doctoral training at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, contributing to the internationally influential English and Romanian Adoptees Study, with which she has maintained a sustained programme of research.

Her work has made a significant contribution to the field of developmental psychopathology, particularly in elucidating the long-term effects of early institutional deprivation and adverse caregiving environments. She conducts a programme of longitudinal and applied research examining how early relational experiences, especially parenting, shape developmental trajectories in contexts of heightened stress and adversity. This includes work with families facing multiple challenges, such as those seeking asylum, those affected by birth trauma or parental anxiety, and families awaiting assessment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. 

Her research also extends to unaccompanied young people seeking asylum, using participatory approaches to examine the impact of post-migration stress on their wellbeing and to inform policy and practice.