Dr. Mastergeorge is a developmental psychologist and holds an endowed professorship at Texas Tech University in the department of Human Development and Family Studies. She directs the Institute for Developmental Science and is the senior director for engaged scholarship initiatives in the Office of the Dean in the College of Human Sciences. Her research focuses on engaged scholarship in the following areas: (1) typical development in social attention and joint attention; (2) prevention and early intervention for young children with autism (including early indicators of autism and autism risk); (3) parent-mediated interventions and parent-child interaction; (4) understanding ‘at-risk’ development and resilience indicators and mediators of development related to poverty; and (5) the impact of toxic stress and adverse life experiences on brain development. She has published numerous papers in these areas and has had several grants that study the impact of health disparities and poverty on early development. She is currently working on a co-edited book entitled The Impact of Poverty on Early Development: Implications for Practice and Policy.
