Faculty Directory

Dr. Dougherty received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2008 from Stony Brook University and joined the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland. Dr. Dougherty is the Director of the Child Stress and Emotions Lab. Her research interests are in the field of developmental psychopathology and examine the phenomenology, etiology and course of depression and mood dysregulation from a developmental, lifespan perspective. Dr. Dougherty uses prospective longitudinal designs and gold standard multi-method, multi-informant assessments to investigate the developmental trajectories of risk for depression. Dr. Dougherty has two primary lines of research: (1) the stress response system and risk for depression and (2) preschool mental health. Dr. Dougherty also has a new, emerging line of research in developmental neuroscience. Across these domains, Dr. Dougherty's research strives to understand children’s mental health within the context of the environment, including the parent-child relationship and family stress.

• Developmental psychopathology
• Developmental psychoneuroendocrinology
• Early experience and brain development
• Preschool mental health assessment
• Mood dysregulation and risk for psychopathology