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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Titles
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
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.
Helena Rutherford, PhD
Amanda Lowell, PhD
Kathryn M Wall Funaro, MS, MA
Linda Mayes, MD
Marc Potenza, PhD, MD
Melissa C Funaro, MLS, MS
29Publications
529Citations
Parenting
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Parent-Child Relations
Emotional Regulation
Publications
2026
Scanning for representation: A scoping review of racial and ethnic diversity in MRI studies of the maternal brain
Orchard E, Murray C, Wall K, Levy J, Shin J, Gaebler C, Hart‐Derrick V, Ayala K, Adodo A, Day M, Funaro M, Guan K, Parker T, Ricard J, Penner F, Yatziv T, Rutherford H. Scanning for representation: A scoping review of racial and ethnic diversity in MRI studies of the maternal brain. Journal Of Neuroendocrinology 2026, 38: e70232. PMID: 42494294, PMCID: PMC13397045, DOI: 10.1111/jne.70232.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsSystematic review of parent–child attachment security in pediatric physical chronic illness
Rocha J, Petitt K, Penner F. Systematic review of parent–child attachment security in pediatric physical chronic illness. Journal Of Pediatric Psychology 2026, jsag052. PMID: 42435387, DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsag052.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsHope Moderates the Association between Experiences of Deprivation in Childhood and Resilience in Young Adults
Harris K, Petitt K, Rocha J, Phanse M, Sharp C, Penner F. Hope Moderates the Association between Experiences of Deprivation in Childhood and Resilience in Young Adults. Adversity And Resilience Science 2026, 7: 31. DOI: 10.1007/s42844-026-00221-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFamily 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 ResearchAltmetricInvestigating 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, 10.1037/dev0002137. PMID: 41609654, PMCID: PMC13094934, DOI: 10.1037/dev0002137.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsOperationalizing 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 Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetric
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 ResearchPresence 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, 74: 1653-1660. PMID: 41367273, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2025.2593321.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMaternal 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 Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsRacial 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, PMCID: PMC13159078, DOI: 10.1007/s40615-025-02661-w.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
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