A stock image shows a young girl and her mother smiling and hugging. The two are of different ethnic backgrounds.
What is PALS?
Pennsylvania Adoptees Longitudinal Study (PALS) is a developmental study of children adopted from the child welfare system between the ages of 4 and 10. The goal is to identify factors that predict both positive and negative outcomes for these children later in life.
Who can participate?
- The study is open to children between the ages of 4 and 10 and a primary caregiving parent.
- Finalization of the adoption must have occurred within 12 months of beginning participation in PALS.
- The adoptive parent must not be biologically related to the adopted child.
- International adoptees are not included in this study.
- The child’s estimated IQ must be above 70. Children diagnosed with an intellectual disability are not included in this study.
What will volunteers do?
The child and parent will be asked to complete interviews, questionnaires and various tasks. Parents may also be asked to complete questionnaires online. The research team from Penn State College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics will collect all data in person at the child’s and parent’s home.
Participation will last for one year, with two home-visits occurring one year apart.
Compensation is provided to eligible participants.
Benefits
There is no direct benefit to participating; however, results may guide future treatment of adopted children and families by helping to identify influential factors in healthy development of adopted children.
For details or to participate
Contact the research coordinator at pals@pennstatehealth.psu.edu or 717-531-0003, ext. 321713.
A stock photo shows a young girl sitting between her parents.
Meet the Team
Investigators
Brian Allen, PsyD
Principal investigator
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Member, Center for the Protection of Children
Erika Lunkenheimer, PhD
Co-investigatorAssociate Professor, Department of Psychology
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Hannah Schreier, PhD
Co-investigatorAssistant Professor, Department of Biobehavioral Health
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Nancy Dreschel, PhD, DVM
Co-investigatorAssociate Teaching Professor, Department of Animal Science
Jennie Noll, PhD
Co-investigatorProfessor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Member, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
Member, Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Director, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Member, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
Ming Wang, MS, PhD
Co-investigator
Associate Professor, Department of Human Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics
Member, Penn State Cancer Institute
Brian Allen, PsyD
Principal investigatorAssociate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Member, Center for the Protection of Children
Erika Lunkenheimer, PhD
Co-investigatorAssociate Professor, Department of Psychology
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Hannah Schreier, PhD
Co-investigatorAssistant Professor, Department of Biobehavioral Health
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Nancy Dreschel, PhD, DVM
Co-investigatorAssociate Teaching Professor, Department of Animal Science
Jennie Noll, PhD
Co-investigatorProfessor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Member, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
Member, Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Director, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Member, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
Ming Wang, MS, PhD
Co-investigatorAssociate Professor, Department of Human Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics
Member, Penn State Cancer Institute
Research Staff
Ashley Bucher, MPH
Project coordinatorMichelle Desir, PhD
Postdoctoral fellowElizabeth Riden, LCSW
Clinical specialistAmy Slenker, LCSW
Clinical specialistRyan Hagarman, LCSW
Clinical specialistAshley Bucher, MPH
Project coordinatorMichelle Desir, PhD
Postdoctoral fellowElizabeth Riden, LCSW
Clinical specialistAmy Slenker, LCSW
Clinical specialistRyan Hagarman, LCSW
Clinical specialist
Brian Allen, PsyD
Principal investigator
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Member, Center for the Protection of Children
Erika Lunkenheimer, PhD
Co-investigator
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Hannah Schreier, PhD
Co-investigator
Assistant Professor, Department of Biobehavioral Health
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Nancy Dreschel, PhD, DVM
Co-investigator
Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Animal Science
Jennie Noll, PhD
Co-investigator
Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Member, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
Member, Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Director, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Member, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
Ming Wang, MS, PhD
Co-investigator
Associate Professor, Department of Human Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics
Member, Penn State Cancer Institute
Brian Allen, PsyD
Principal investigator
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Member, Center for the Protection of Children
Erika Lunkenheimer, PhD
Co-investigator
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Hannah Schreier, PhD
Co-investigator
Assistant Professor, Department of Biobehavioral Health
Member, Social Science Research Institute
Member, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Nancy Dreschel, PhD, DVM
Co-investigator
Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Animal Science
Jennie Noll, PhD
Co-investigator
Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Member, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
Member, Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Director, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Member, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
Ming Wang, MS, PhD
Co-investigator
Associate Professor, Department of Human Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics
Member, Penn State Cancer Institute
Ashley Bucher, MPH
Michelle Desir, PhD
Elizabeth Riden, LCSW
Amy Slenker, LCSW
Ryan Hagarman, LCSW
Ashley Bucher, MPH
Michelle Desir, PhD
Elizabeth Riden, LCSW
Amy Slenker, LCSW
Ryan Hagarman, LCSW
A stock photo shows a boy being carried on his father's back and shoulders. The two are smiling.
Support
This study is supported by a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/National Institutes of Health.