Sarah Foley

Dr. Sarah Foley is a Lecturer in Developmental Psychology at the Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of Advance HE. She specializes in family dynamics, child wellbeing, and parenting arrangements in diverse family structures. Her research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), including a current New Investigators Grant exploring shared parenting post-divorce and a prior Post-Doctoral Fellowship examining co-parenting experiences. Dr. Foley’s work bridges observational and quantitative methods to inform evidence-based family support strategies.

Education:

• BA (Hons) Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge
• PhD in Developmental Psychology, University of Cambridge

Research Focus:

Her research examines parent-child relationships, family functioning, and child outcomes in non-traditional family forms (e.g., elective co-parenting, assisted reproduction). Key areas include post-separation family adjustment, parent mind-mindedness, and shared care arrangements. She collaborates with stakeholders like mediators and charities to translate findings into practical interventions.

Awards:

• ESRC Post-Doctoral Fellowship
• ESRC New Investigators Grant
• Fellow of Advance HE

Teaching & Supervision:

Dr. Foley teaches courses on child development in education, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing. She welcomes PhD students exploring family dynamics or developmental psychology.

Labs/Teams:

She leads the Parenting After Divorce or Separation Study, a multi-method project funded by ESRC to understand family life and children’s experiences in shared parenting arrangements post-separation. The team includes researchers like Rawan Abdelaal and collaborators across UK institutions.