I received a PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Toronto, and completed Post-Doctoral fellowships at the University of Maryland, College Park, National Institute of Mental Health, and McMaster University. I am currently in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at OISE. I am interested in the role that early experiences and individual differences play in the development of later mental health problems. My main program of research examines the link between early temperament (e.g., behavioral inhibition and exuberance) and later social-emotional development. Some, but not all, children with these temperaments go on to develop social-emotional problems and my work attempts to uncover the neurocognitive (e.g., executive function) and contextual (e.g., peer relations and parenting) factors that play a role in the link between early temperament and later mental health problems. In the Perlman lab, I am involved in research examining the formation of relationships among young children. My research includes behavioral and observation methods, as well as brain-based methods, such as EEG/ERP, and fMRI. This work has implications for theory in human development, and it can provide important information for parents, teachers, and professionals who work with children. I have held various awards, including a SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship, Lawson Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship, and a SSHRC Banting Post-Doctoral Award.