Dr. Sturge-Apple earned a M.Ed. from Harvard University in the area of Risk and Prevention, and worked as a family counselor for five years. After this, she returned to school and received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and served as a post-doctoral fellow at the Mt. Hope Family Center. Her research focuses on understanding family processes, child coping and adaptation to family contexts, and children’s socio-emotional adjustment. She is an author on over 25 publications and is a recipient of the Reuben Hill Research and Theory Award from the National Council on Family Relations. Her research is currently funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Nursing Research.