Laura Dunne

Dr. Laura Dunne is a Senior Lecturer and Reader at Queen's University Belfast within the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, part of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS). Her research focuses on child health, wellbeing, and development in schools and communities, early childhood development (ECD) in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), and program evaluation. She is a Chartered Psychologist and leads the LINKS Project, a global initiative linking ECD to peacebuilding. Current roles include Deputy Director of Innovation Zones, Fellow of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, and Programme Director for the MEd Educational Studies.

Her extensive research includes projects in LMICs such as Viet Nam, East Timor, and Palestine, alongside collaborations with UNICEF, Yale, and Harvard. Notable grants include the NIHR Global Health Research Group on ECD for Peacebuilding (£2 million), and evaluations of programs like Nuffield Early Language Intervention and Peep Learning Together. Awards include the Athena SWAN Bronze Award (2016) and shortlisting for the QUB Staff Excellence Award (2025).

Dr. Dunne’s work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, policy impact, and global health equity. She contributes to teaching at the postgraduate level, including courses on research design and early childhood critical perspectives.