Ann V Sanson
She/her
Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne, AustraliaAbout the author:
My research has principally focused on understanding the role of child, family and community characteristics in the social and emotional development and wellbeing of children, adolescents and young adults.
The major focus of my current work is on the impact of the climate crisis on current and future generations of children and youth, and how they can best be supported to manage the emotional load that it brings as well as adapt to its inevitable effects on their lives.
What I want to achieve:
I have always been interested in how psychological knowledge and expertise can be used to address current social issues. For example, I was a founder of the Australian Psychological Society’s Psychology for Peace Interest Group and the founding APS Director of Social Issues.
More recently, my concerns have focused on the current and future impacts of climate change on children and youth. I co-founded and co-convene Developmental Scientists for Climate Action, which seeks to encourage and support researchers and practitioners to use their skills to build ways to support our young people through this unprecedented crisis.
My previous positions:
Lead investigator on the 43-year Australian Temperament Project which has followed a large community sample from infancy (in 1983) through early adulthood, with intergenerational follow-up of the children of the participants (https://www.melbournechildrens.com/atp/).
Initial Project Director for the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children which follows 10,000 children nationwide and is currently its Principal Scientific Advisor (http://www.growingupinaustralia.gov.au).
Awards & accomplishments:
Fellow, Australian Psychological Society
Fellow, International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development