Research Scientist

Lisa Berlin's program of research focuses on parenting and early childhood socioemotional development. She is especially interested in bringing attachment theory, research, and intervention to bear on public health initiatives for infants and toddlers, such as Early Head Start and home visiting services to prevent early abuse and neglect.

In several ongoing projects she is examining (a) the effects of intensive home visiting on infant-mother attachment; (b) the extent to which mothers' own attachment security can moderate the effectiveness of intensive home visiting and Early Head Start services; (c) the efficacy of a short-term attachment intervention for promoting supportive parenting in substance-using mothers of infants. Berlin also directs Project M.O.M., a prospective, longitudinal study of the associations between mothers' prenatal psycho-social risks and assets and their later parenting.

Education:

• PhD The Pennsylvania State University - 1994
• MS Human Development and Family Studies - 1990

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

1. Berlin, L. J., Ispa, J., Fine, M., Malone, P. S., Brooks-Gunn, J., Brady-Smith, C., Ayoub, C. A, & Bai, Y. (in press). Correlates and consequences of spanking and verbal punishment for low income White, African American, and Mexican American toddlers. Child Development.


2. Duggan, A., Berlin, L. J., Cassidy, J., Burrell, L., & Tandon, D. (in press). Testing maternal depression and attachment insecurity as moderators of home visiting impacts for at-risk mothers and infants. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.


3. Berlin, L.J., Cassidy, J., & Appleyard, K. (2008). The influence of early attachments on other relationships. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Ed.).  Handbook of attachment2nd ed. (pp. 333-347). New York: Guilford Press.


4. Berlin, L.J., Zeanah, C.H., & Lieberman, A.F. (2008). Prevention and intervention programs for supporting early attachment security. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Ed.).  Handbook of attachment2nd ed. (pp. 745-761). New York: Guilford Press.


5. Berlin, L.J., Ziv, Y., Amaya-Jackson, L. M., & Greenberg, M. T. (Eds) (2005). Enhancing early attachments: Theory, research, intervention, and policy.. New York: Guilford Press.

1. Supporting early attachments: Why it’s important and how we can do it, Invited address, Conference on Strategic Philanthropy in Early Childhood Development,Duke University, (2009, May)
2. Adult attachment moderators of Early Head Start effects on parenting. In S. Woodhouse and L.J. Berlin (Chairs), Adult attachment and reflective functioning as moderators of early intervention efficacy, Symposium presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Denver, (2009, April)
3. Maternal substance use problems as a mediator of the link between mothers’ childhood maltreatment and offspring victimization. In K. Appleyard (Chair), Longitudinal and intergenerational relations between substance use and child maltreatment, Symposium presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Denver, (2009, April)
4. Patterns and predictors of infant-mother attachment in recipients of home visiting services. In L. J. Berlin (Chair), Attachment-based assessment and treatment in child maltreatment prevention, Symposium presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Denver, (2009, April)
5. Prevention and intervention programs for supporting early attachment security, Invited colloquium, Annual Conference of the Division of Child Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, (2009, April)

Selected Grant Support

• Mental Health Prevention Science for Child Maltreatment, National Institute of Mental Health (K01MH70378).      
• Duke Transdisciplinary Prevention Research Center (TPRC) - pilot study, Promoting Supportive Parenting in New Mothers with Substance Use Problems: A Pilot Randomized Trial, National Institues of Health (NIH)/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).      
• Causes, Consequences, and Prevention of Child Maltreatment, Research Triangle International (RTI).