DoctorSamantha Lee

My research interests centre on the complex processes that influence risk and resilience among infants, children, and adolescents. My work focuses on the developmental outcomes of children exposed prenatally to both licit and illicit substances, psychosocial adversity, and, more recently, children born very preterm. I aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of how early life stress contributes to long-term mental health, educational, and cognitive outcomes for vulnerable populations. In addition, I am interested in understanding the role of intervening family processes, and how these help to foster resilience or increase risk among individuals who have experienced early adversity. This includes how parenting, the parent-child relationship, and important social connections impact or shape a child's developmental trajectory.