Speaker
Dr. Sabrina Twilhaar
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions/UKRI Fellow
Biography
My research focuses on the impact of very preterm birth on various aspects of the development of children, including cognitive, academic, psychosocial, and behavioural functioning. More specifically, I aim to understand the large differences in outcomes between children. Why does preterm birth affect some children more than others? To understand this, I am particularly interested in the role of social-environmental factors. How does the environment in which a child grows up contribute to their outcomes?
My current research aims to identify factors that promote resilient functioning after preterm birth. These factors could be used as targets for interventions to improve outcomes of preterm born children. In addition, the project places emphasis on diversity and disadvantaged groups that remain largely invisible in current research but tend to carry the largest burden. The aim is to increase the potential of more groups in society benefiting from the gained knowledge, by better understanding the needs of specific subgroups of children and what could work best for whom in terms of interventions.