She received her MS in educational psychology/special education from the University at Albany, State University of New York, and her PhD in clinical psychology and mental retardation research from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Halpern's research interests focus on studying the developmental outcomes of infants born with medical risk factors, and the development of emotion-regulation and coping skills in children. She teaches courses in developmental psychology at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and courses in clinical assessment, psychotherapy, and professional issues at the graduate level. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Society for Research in Child Development, International Society for Infant Studies, and Society of Pediatric Psychology.