Successful Conference on Longitudinal Research

Last week saw the hosting of a joint conference between the Improving Children's Lives initiative and the Northern Ireland British Psychological Society called 'Understanding Children’s Lives: Longitudinal Research in Northern Ireland.'


This well attended conference featured international experts who spoke about the relevance of longitudinal research to child intervention and policy.

Keynote Speakers included:


Prof Sheila Greene, Trinity College, Dublin. Professor Greene is Co-Director of the Growing Up in Ireland Study, a national longitudinal study investigating how the social, economic and cultural climate of Ireland influences child development. She is also Theme Leader for the Education and Child Development Panel of the Growing Up in Ireland Study.

Prof Ted Melhuish, Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues, Birkbeck College, University of London. Professor Melhuish was principal investigator on the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) and Effective Pre-school Provision in Northern Ireland (EPPNI), as well as Executive Director of the National Evaluation of Sure Start.

The day also included speakers, who reported examples of longitudinal research involving children in Northern Ireland, including:


Prof Peter Hepper, Queen’s University Belfast. Pre- and peri-natal development: studies of how prenatal experiences impact upon behaviour and development before and after birth.


Prof Chris McCusker, Queen’s University Belfast. CHIP: longitudinal study of the effectiveness of early psychological interventions for children with congenital heart conditions and their families.


Dr Margaret Cupples, Queen’s University Belfast. MOMENTS: a randomised control trial with longitudinal follow-up, investigating the impact of peer mentoring of first time mothers from socially deprived areas of Belfast.


Prof Carol McGuinness, Queen’s University Belfast. Early Years Enriched Curriculum Project: a longitudinal evaluation of the educational outcomes for children who participated in the early years Enriched Curriculum.


Dr Oliver Perra, Queen’s University Belfast. BYDS: a longitudinal study of adolescent development with a particular focus on the initiation, trajectory and desistance of substance youth behaviours.

For more information on this event please contact Dr Kareena McAloney Research Fellow (Longitudinal Research)


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