Dr Emily Freeman is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Newcastle.

Her current research focus is on child development, with an interest in cognitive, social, and emotional development. She is particularly interested in the role of play between parents and children and how this lays the foundations for positive child developmental outcomes.

Emily has been exploring the role of father-child rough-and-tumble play (RTP) on child development. Through numerous projects in collaboration with numerous national and international researchers, she has published research on topics including how to measure the quality of play interactions, how RTP is related to fewer behavioural problems and increased prosocial behaviour in children, and even the relationship between RTP and injury risk.

For an overview of these studies, head over to The Conversation for a brief overview: Kids Learn Valuable Life Skills through Rough and Tumble Play with their Dads.