Dillon Browne

B.A. Hons. (University of Guelph)

M.A., Ph.D. (University of Toronto)

Contact information

Whole Family Lab

Tier II Canada Research Chair in Child and Family Clinical Psychology (SSHRC)

Graduate Program Applicants

Please see the Clinical Psychology Website to see if I am taking a student next year. 

Research Interests

My program of research examines the influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, and socioeconomic status on human development. I consider development in a variety of domains, including cognition, academic achievement, socioemotional functioning, behaviour, and mental health. The approach I take is unique in that I apply a “family systems” lens to understanding these developmental phenomenon. Specifically, my research seeks to better understand how stress, adversity, and hardship disrupt life for entire families and across generations. I pay particular attention to the way family members (parents and children, siblings, and couples) relate to one another during real-time interactions. Collectively, my research has provided empirical support for the foundational tenets of family systems theory, demonstrating that families are indeed “more than the sum of their parts.” Thus, a comprehensive picture of human development and children’s mental health must consider how whole families are doing.

The second arm of my research program concerns the development, evaluation, and implementation of evidence-based interventions for children and whole families who are struggling with mental health and developmental challenges, particularly in settings of trauma and adversity. As a clinician-scientist, I am very interested in trauma-informed interventions during early life (e.g., Child-Parent Psychotherapy) and systemic approaches to family intervention (e.g., Structural Family Therapy). I have also conducted a number of evaluations (including Randomized Controlled Trials) with service providers in Canada and the US in the context of child welfare, treatment foster care, integrated care for medically complex children, and reintegration services for youth who were previously incarcerated.  I am committed to developing partnerships with community service providers and making sure my research aims are embedded in the contexts in which families seek treatment.

Teaching and Clinical Interests

I have taught a number of courses, workshops, and seminars including: Introductory Psychology; Research Methods; Psychometrics; Statistics; Advanced Clinical Interventions for Children, Youth and Families; Trauma-Informed Services; and Developmental Psychopathology. In the fall of 2018, I will be teaching Child Psychopathology and Psychotherapy at UW. Clinically speaking, I am interested in relational psychotherapeutic interventions in the context of trauma during early life and family therapy (e.g. Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Structural Family Therapy). I also have interests in school psychology, assessment and formulation, cognitive behavioural therapy, and parenting support for families of children with externalizing and internalizing problems.

Select Publications

• Browne, D. T., Wade, M., Plamondon, A., Leckie, G., Perlman, M., Madigan, S., & Jenkins, J. M. (2018). Child and contextual effects in the emergence of differential parenting across siblings. Developmental Psychology, 54 (7), 1265-1276. doi: 10.1037/dev0000506.
• Browne, D. T., Kumar, A., Puente-Duran, S., Leckie, G., Georgiades, K., Leckie, G. & Jenkins, J. M. (2017). Emotional problems amongst recent Canadian immigrants and parenting status: Findings from a national longitudinal study of immigrants in Canada. PLOS One, 12 (4):e0175023.
• Browne, D. T., Wade, M., Prime, H. & Jenkins, J. M. (2017). School readiness amongst urban Canadian families: Risk profiles and family mediation, 110 (1) 133-146. Journal of Educational Psychology. doi: 10.1037/edu0000202
• Browne, D. T., Puente-Duran, S., Shlonsky, A., Thabane, L. & Verticchio, D. (2016). A randomized trial of Wraparound facilitation versus usual child protection services. Research on Social Work Practice, 26 (2), 168-176.
• Browne, D. T., Leckie, G., Prime, H., Perlman, M., & Jenkins, J. M. (2016). Observed sensitivity during family interactions and cumulative risk: A study of multiple dyads per family. Developmental Psychology, 52, 1128-1138.
• Browne, D. T. & Andrade, B. F. (2016). Person-context interactions and the assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Developmental and methodological considerations. Vulnerable Children & Youth Studies, 11, 103-114.
• Browne, D. T., Plamondon, A., Prime, H., Puente-Duran, S., & Wade, M. (2015). Cumulative risk and developmental health: An argument for the importance of a family-wide science. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 6, 397-407.
• Browne, D. T., Rokeach, A., Wiener, J., Hoch, J. S., Meunier, J-C. & Thurston, S. (2013). The familial and economic impact of complex childhood disabilities: Examining the role of integrated care and child hyperactivity-inattention. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 25, 181-201.
• Browne, D. T. & Jenkins, J. M. (2012). Health across early childhood and socioeconomic status: Examining the moderating effects of differential parenting. Social Science and Medicine, 74, 1622-1629.
• Browne, D. T., Meunier, J. C., O’Connor, T. & Jenkins, J. M. (2012). Differential parenting and the role of parental personality traits. Journal of Family Psychology, 26, 542-553.