Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty typically have an academic or research appointment at another institution and contribute or collaborate with one or more School of Medicine faculty members or programs.
Adjunct rank detailsFrancesca Penner, PhD
Assistant Professor Adjunct in the Child Study CenterDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Assistant Professor Adjunct in the Child Study Center
Biography
Francesca is an Adjunct Assistant Professor. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Yale Child Study Center, working under the mentorship of Dr. Helena Rutherford in the Before and After Baby Lab. Francesca received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Clinical Child Psychology emphasis) from the University of Houston in 2021. Francesca's research focuses on parent mental health, parenting, and the role of parents in children's mental health risk and resilience.
Last Updated on September 01, 2025.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Assistant Professor AdjunctPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- All Institutions
- Child Study Center
Education & Training
- Clinical Psychology Internship
- University of Mississippi Medical Center (2021)
- PhD
- University of Houston, Clinical Psychology (2021)
- MEd
- Vanderbilt University, Child Studies (2016)
- BA
- The University of Chicago, English Language & Literature (2009)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Adverse Childhood Experiences; Child Development; Emotional Regulation; Parent-Child Relations; Parenting; Psychopathology
ORCID
0000-0002-8971-790X
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Francesca Penner's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Francesca Penner's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Francesca Penner is interested in exploring.
Amanda Lowell, PhD
Helena Rutherford, PhD
Kathryn M Wall Funaro, MS, MA
Linda Mayes, MD
Marc Potenza, PhD, MD
Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, PhD
26Publications
488Citations
Parenting
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Parent-Child Relations
Emotional Regulation
Publications
2026
Family protective service involvement and reduced infant cortical grey matter volume
Penner F, Ahtam B, Ou Y, Grant P, Lyons‐Ruth K. Family protective service involvement and reduced infant cortical grey matter volume. Infant Mental Health Journal Infancy And Early Childhood 2026, 47: e70077. PMID: 41804289, PMCID: PMC12972846, DOI: 10.1002/imhj.70077.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsGray matter volumeCortical gray matter volumeMatter volumeAmygdala volumeChild protective servicesWhole-brain gray matter volumeBrain gray matter volumeRight amygdala volumeInsular cortex volumeEffects of adversityGray matter developmentCPS involvementCortical gray matter developmentInfant brain volumesFamily involvementCaregiving adversityCortex volumeBrain volumeProtective services involvementOlder childrenService involvementBrain growthMonths of ageAdversityBrainInvestigating Associations Between Maternal Neural Responsivity and Infant Developmental Outcomes
Wall K, Penner F, Armstrong K, Lowell A, Potenza M, Mayes L, Rutherford H. Investigating Associations Between Maternal Neural Responsivity and Infant Developmental Outcomes. Developmental Psychology 2026 PMID: 41609654, DOI: 10.1037/dev0002137.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEvent-related potentialsMaternal responsivenessSocial-emotional developmentInfant social-emotional developmentInfant facesProfile membershipNeural responsesNeural aspectsNeural markersResponses to infant facesChild developmentAdaptive behavior developmentLatent profile analysisBayley Scales of Infant DevelopmentInfant developmental outcomesN170 amplitudeBayley ScalesNeural mechanismsAdaptive behaviorBehavioral developmentP300 latencyDevelopmental outcomesInfant developmentDevelopment scoresProfile analysisOperationalizing Psychological Trauma in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review
Rutherford H, Wall K, Goldman L, Shin J, Novak E, Lowell A, Penner F, Day M, Papa L, Wright D, Givrad S. Operationalizing Psychological Trauma in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice And Policy 2026, 18: 1-9. PMID: 40742688, PMCID: PMC12490802, DOI: 10.1037/tra0001968.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsSystematic reviewAssessment of psychological traumaImplementation of trauma-informed careWell-being of pregnant womenTranslation of research findingsPsychological traumaWell-beingPreferred Reporting ItemsTrauma-informed careComprehensive assessmentFull-text articlesTime of assessmentWeb of ScienceReporting ItemsClinical careOvid MEDLINEQuestionnaire-based approachPosttraumatic stress disorderOvid EmbasePregnant womenLiterature searchPerinatal individualsCareNarrative insightPrenatal period
2025
A comparison of borderline personality features and level of personality functioning in explaining mentalizing capacity
Zell C, Balzen K, Boudreaux J, Penner F, Sharp C. A comparison of borderline personality features and level of personality functioning in explaining mentalizing capacity. Borderline Personality Disorder And Emotion Dysregulation 2025, 13: 3. PMID: 41366703, PMCID: PMC12874996, DOI: 10.1186/s40479-025-00329-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLevels of personality functioningReflective Functioning QuestionnaireBorderline personality featuresBorderline featuresPersonality disorderPersonality featuresIncremental validityBorderline personality disorder symptomsDevelopment of personality disordersPersonality disorder symptomsSocial cognitive deficitsSocial cognitive impairmentsMeasures of mentalizingSelf-report measuresSocial cognitive constructsLevel of personalizationCategorical nosologyInternalizing symptomsPersonality functioningDisorder symptomsMental deficitsTotal scoreMental ScaleMental capacityMentalPresence of meaning in life mediates the relationship between mindfulness and resilience in young adults
Harris K, Petitt K, Rocha J, Sharp C, Penner F. Presence of meaning in life mediates the relationship between mindfulness and resilience in young adults. Journal Of American College Health 2025, ahead-of-print: 1-8. PMID: 41367273, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2025.2593321.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsPresence of meaning in lifeMeaning in lifeParallel mediation modelsMeaning in Life QuestionnaireAttention Awareness ScaleYoung adultsAssociated with resilienceBrief Resilience ScaleAdverse health outcomesAwareness ScaleMediation modelHealth outcomesResilience ScaleLife QuestionnaireMethods:MindfulnessBolstering resilienceIndirect effectsOnline surveyPositive linkAdultsMaternal Psychological Trauma Assessed Prenatally and Offspring Outcomes.
Shin J, Goldman L, Wall K, Novak E, Lowell A, Penner F, Day M, Wright D, Rutherford H, Givrad S. Maternal Psychological Trauma Assessed Prenatally and Offspring Outcomes. Trauma Violence & Abuse 2025, 15248380251376349. PMID: 41273023, DOI: 10.1177/15248380251376349.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsCross-sectional assessmentOffspring outcomesPsychological traumaMaternal traumaSystematic reviewNeonatal outcomesRisk of adverse pregnancyMental health effectsPsychologically traumatic experiencesTwo-generation interventionsInterpersonal traumaPTSD statusChildhood abuseTrauma typesFamily healthTraumatic experiencesSecondary analysisGeneral traumaPregnant peopleAdverse pregnancyWell-beingOffspring measuresHealth effectsOutcomesTraumaRacial and Ethnic Representation in Studies of Psychological Trauma During Pregnancy in the United States
Wall K, Penner F, Goldman L, Shin J, Novak E, Lowell A, Day M, Papa L, Ojukwu D, Wright D, Givrad S, Rutherford H. Racial and Ethnic Representation in Studies of Psychological Trauma During Pregnancy in the United States. Journal Of Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities 2025, 1-12. PMID: 41136677, DOI: 10.1007/s40615-025-02661-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEthnic identityEthnic groupsEthnic representationPsychological traumaIntimate partner violenceUnited StatesIntersection of pregnancyTrauma historyPartner violencePsychological trauma exposureStudy of psychological traumaPsychological trauma historyNative AmericansInterpersonal traumaTrauma exposureChildhood abuseRacial disparitiesMiddle EasternMaternal mortalityHealth careBlack/African AmericanSecondary analysisEthnicity informationSystematic reviewIdentityAssociations between threat and deprivation experiences and adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms: The roles of emotion regulation and identity problems
Shin J, Rocha J, Sharp C, Penner F. Associations between threat and deprivation experiences and adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms: The roles of emotion regulation and identity problems. Child Abuse & Neglect 2025, 169: 107705. PMID: 41067073, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107705.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsEmotion regulation difficultiesRegulation difficultiesExternalizing symptomsInternalizing symptomsLevels of emotion regulation difficultiesChildhood experiencesIdentity problemsAssessment of Identity DevelopmentEmotion Regulation ScaleChildhood Trauma QuestionnaireAdolescent internalizing symptomsYouth Self-ReportInpatient psychiatric hospitalizationDeprivation experimentsExperience of threatDimensions of threatSequential mediation modelCross-sectional observational studyRobust risk factorsExternalizing psychopathologyRegulation ScaleEmotion regulationTrauma QuestionnaireAdolescent internalizingQuestionnaire measuresAdverse Childhood Experiences and Hope as Risk and Protective Factors for Mental Health in the Context of COVID-19 Stress
Penner F, Ginty A, Tyra A, Harris K, Sharp C. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Hope as Risk and Protective Factors for Mental Health in the Context of COVID-19 Stress. Journal Of Child & Adolescent Trauma 2025, 1-11. DOI: 10.1007/s40653-025-00772-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsCOVID-19 stressAdverse childhood experiencesPsychological distressMental healthChildhood experiencesLevels of adverse childhood experiencesLevels of COVID-19 stressCOVID-19-related stressAssociated with psychological distressYoung adultsPotential buffering effectProtective factorsAssociated with higher levelsStructural equation modelingLongitudinal designAdverse exposuresPandemic stressBuffering effectUndergraduate studentsDistressUrban public universityCross-sectional online surveyEquation modelingStudy measuresAdversityA systematic review on the assessment of pregnancy-specific psychological trauma during pregnancy: A call to action
Givrad S, Wall K, Goldman L, Shin J, Novak E, Lowell A, Penner F, Day M, Papa L, Wright D, Rutherford H. A systematic review on the assessment of pregnancy-specific psychological trauma during pregnancy: A call to action. AJOG Global Reports 2025, 5: 100451. PMID: 40093874, PMCID: PMC11909425, DOI: 10.1016/j.xagr.2025.100451.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsSystematic reviewPerinatal periodPsychological traumaPreferred Reporting ItemsCare deliveryWeb of ScienceReporting ItemsHealthcare systemIndependent reviewersInfant healthSecondary analysisScreening measuresOvid MEDLINEFull-textOvid EmbaseHistory of traumatic experiencesResearch teamPsychological disordersPerinatal individualsOvidPregnancyTraumatic experiencesTeamTraumaPsycINFO
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