Our Projects
Current Projects
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Understanding the experiences of donor conceived people requesting their donor’s identity from the HFEA
This study aims to gather information from young adults born following identifiable gamete donation in the UK who have requested information about their donor’s identity from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The study aims to understand the motivations for requesting information and the experiences of doing so. Data collection is currently underway.
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Developing, standardising and validating a new inclusive scale of prenatal bonding for parents-to-be
Multiple scales have been developed to measure the connection (referred to as prenatal bonding or prenatal attachment), between expectant parents and the fetus; however, existing scales have predominantly been designed to understand the experiences of women gestating a biologically related child. This leaves out many parents-to-be, such as fathers, non carrying partners, non-biological parents and…
Past Projects
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Single fathers through surrogacy
The present study aimed to understand the experiences and psychological health of single fathers who had a child through surrogacy and egg donation. Data were collected using interviews and questionnaires. Publications can be found on our publications page.The present study aimed to understand the experiences and psychological health of single fathers who had a child…
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Families formed following IVF and identifiable egg donation
The majority of studies looking at family functioning and child adjustment of families with a child born following egg donation, have been conducted with families with an anonymous egg donor. The aim of the present study was to understand family functioning and child adjustment in families where the families had used an identifiable or known…
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Parenting, child adjustment and experiences within elective co-parenting families
Elective co-parenting, where parents who are not in a romantic relationship with each other decide to conceive and raise a child together is on the rise, partly facilitated by online connection sites and apps designed to help people search for parenting partners. This mixed methods study aimed to increase our understanding of family functioning and…
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The UK Longitudinal Study of ART Families
This UK longitudinal study of families formed through Assisted Reproduction began at the turn of the century and has been following up families with a child born through surrogacy, egg donation, sperm donation from infancy into adulthood. The study took place over 7 phases, when the target child was aged 1, 2, 3, 7, 10,…