Jana's work focusses on the impact of early experience on development. She is particularly interested in the role of relationship experiences, especially caregiver-child and peer/friend relationships, in typical and atypical development. Jana studies factors that influence relationship experiences as well as the effects and correlates of such relationship experiences on children’s development. Jana uses this knowledge to inform the development of relationship-based interventions to promote children and young people’s wellbeing. Her research has been funded by the ESRC, NIHR, the Waterloo Foundation and the Welcome Trust. Jana's research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods. She has extensive experience conducting longitudinal research across childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. Jana is currently involved in a range of interdisciplinary collaborations which span Psychiatry, Paediatric Neurology, Psychology, Education, Social Work, Public Policy, and Law.
Developing and using novel and creative methodologies to access the views and voices of neurodivergent children and those with special educational needsUnderstanding educational experiences and the social and psychological factors that lead to successful and unsuccessful educational transitions for autistic children, children with disabilities, and those with special educational needsCo-production and participatory approaches to developing research questions and conducting research in practiceUnderstanding the wider family experience when one member of the family has additional needs – in particular I am interested in the sibling experience
Professor Cortese’s main research interests are around neurodevelopmental disorders, with a focus on ADHD, and sleep disorders. In his research, he uses advanced evidence synthesis methods, large datasets and RCTs to inform decision-making in clinical practice.
