Overview
Ann Skinner joined the Center in 2001 and is a Research Scientist with Parenting Across Cultures (PAC) and C-StARR. She is also the Principal Investigator for a study examining the effects of the war on young people and their families in Ukraine.
Her research focuses on the ways in which stressful community, familial, and interpersonal events impact parent-child relationships and the development of aggression and internalizing behaviors in youth. She has extensive experience in data management of multisite projects and in supervising teams for school- and community-based interventions and data collection.
Skinner is a former supervisor in the Junior Researcher Programme, where she led a group of junior international scholars exploring the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent and young adult development. She is currently a 2022-23 fellow with the ICDSS COVID-19 Global Scholars Program.
Prior to her work with Parenting Across Cultures, Skinner was a senior school specialist and research analyst on the GREAT Schools and Families middle school violence prevention project at the Center, as well as Project CLASS.
Skinner has a Ph.D in developmental psychology from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, a master's degree in education, and B.A. in psychology, both from the College of William and Mary, with a focus on teaching students with emotional and learning disabilities. Before joining the Center, she worked as a special education teacher, trainer, and supervisor in the North Carolina public schools and at residential facilities for at-risk youth in Rhode Island and North Carolina.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Future Orientation in Adolescents: Development and the Roles of Parenting in Different Income Countries.
Journal Article Journal of youth and adolescence · April 2026 Full text CiteHair cortisol concentrations among youth in Ukraine: Associations with war experiences and post-traumatic-stress symptoms.
Journal Article Psychoneuroendocrinology · April 2026 ObjectiveTo explore relations between cortisol response measured by hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), war exposure (e.g., air alarms and explosions), and psychological distress for youth living in Ukraine during the current invasion.Methods< ... Full text CiteA Longitudinal Study of Parental Solicitation, Rule-Setting, and Psychological Control as Predictors of Adolescent Disclosure across More Individualistic and More Collectivistic Countries.
Journal Article Journal of youth and adolescence · February 2026 Full text CiteRecent Grants
Childhood, Adolescence, and Covid-Related Risk and Protective Factors in the Development of Adjustment in Early Adulthood Across Cultures
ResearchProject Manager · Awarded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2022 - 2027Understanding how interpersonal relationships and social support during war promote resilience and recovery
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Mental Research Institute · 2025 - 2026Adolescents and AI
ResearchResearch Scientist · Awarded by University of California - Irvine · 2024 - 2026View All Grants