Maria José Peñaherrera
María José is a current PhD researcher under a UEL Research Excellence PhD Studentship. Her research explores how specific characteristics in early home environments (e.g. predictability) influence typical and atypical developmental patterns.
Before starting her PhD, María José was our lab manager and collaborated on some of our projects, including the ONACSA project and research on natural outdoor spaces and excluded students’ wellbeing. She has a first-class honours degree in Clinical Psychology from Universidad del Azuay, Ecuador, and an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology with distinction from Birkbeck, University of London.
María José has experience in clinical and research settings, particularly with children. She is drawn to translational science, which aims to translate research findings into practical applications that can directly benefit children and their families, as well as inform public policy. Throughout her career, she has contributed to projects with a translational focus, including collaborations with organisations such as UNICEF-Ecuador.
