Her research interests are shaped by her experiences as a family nurse practitioner. Many of the women she cares for were subject to significant stressors including maltreatment in early life, and disruptions in their early caregiving environments. Since then she has developed a program of research in understanding the perinatal mental health, maternal attachment and their influence on early childhood outcomes, particularly in families living in poverty. Dr. Alhusen hopes that her research will contribute to greater program effects in early intervention programs and greater sustainability of gains over time.