Ellen Pinderhughes

A clinical and developmental psychologist, Ellen Pinderhughes obtained her Ph.D from Yale University. She has been on the faculty of the Department of Psychology and Human Development at Peabody College, Vanderbilt for 9 years, where she has taught and conducts research on contextual influences on socialization processes among families whose youth are place at-risk for problematic outcomes.

Her two research interests center on child and family readjustment following adoptive placement of older children, and a longitudinal research based prevention of conduct problems. This latter project, known as Fast Track and funded through NIMH, is a multi-site project that first identified children in kindergarten and has followed these children and their parents with yearly intervention through grade ten.

She has published articles on effects of the Fast Track intervention, contextual influences on parenting, adoption of older children, and regularly presents at national and international research conferences.

Having also taught at Cleveland State University in Ohio, Dr. Pinderhughes has a history of community based intervention and social policy advocacy, having taught and directed in day care centers, and having provided psychological services in schools, outpatient, juvenile court, pediatric and inpatient settings.

Her work also has been enriched by her own family based experiences with her husband, daughter and son.