Dr Perez’ research interests are the parent-child relationship and parents’ experiences in the early years. She is head of LEAPS (Longitudinal Experiences and Adjustments in Parenting Study). The project aims to investigate experiences of pregnancy and being a parent at different stages in early parenthood, how psychosocial factors may influence these experiences and how these may, in turn, influence the quality of parenting, parent-child relationships, and children’s later development.
She has previously worked on longitudinal research on attachment representations, mixed-methods research on psychoanalysts’ styles of working, qualitative research on mothers’ experiences, and systematic reviews for the NICE mental health guidelines. More recently, together with Elena Panagiotopoulou, Ruth Roberts and Peter Curtis, investigated the impact of COVID-19 and associated restrictions on expectant parents and those in early parenthood during the first and most restrictive phase of lockdown in the UK. Her current research will investigate the longitudinal impact of the pandemic on parents and children.