I am interested in the factors that influence eating behaviour and weight, particularly in children. I have expertise in longitudinal research and in using observational and experimental designs. I am particularly interested in how children’s experiences with foods shape their food preferences and eating behaviours. I work internationally and have funded projects with partners in the UK, the USA, across Africa and Europe. I am passionate about taking the findings of my research to families, children and health care professionals and have co-developed several resources to support families with concerns about child eating, including the 'Child Feeding Guide' and 'Vegetable Maths Masters'. 

Current projects include:

• Parenting children with avid appetites
• The development of emotional eating in children
• Complementary feeding and developmental outcomes
• The role of mealtimes in fostering language development in Kenya and Zambia
• Healthy weight management in children living with asthma
• The relationship between food intake and mental health
• Food labels, memory and food choices
• Understanding acceptance of cultured meat
• Understanding attitudes to black soldier fly technology to improve sanitation

2007: Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

2005: Ph.D. Psychology, The University of Birmingham

2001: B.Sc. Psychology, First Class (hons.), The University of Birmingham

• Member of the UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowships (UKRI FLF) programme Peer Review College
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
• Committee member of the Midlands Universities Children and Infants eating Group
• Member of the British Feeding and Drinking Group

I teach across a range of modules in Years 1, 2 and 3. I lead a second year module: Lifespan Development and supervise final year project students each year. I also supervise Masters and PhD students.

Funding in excess of £3.5 million to date.

Current projects include:

• • Shapiro, L., Farrow, C., Wadende, P., Matthews, D., Mooya, H. & Anyango Koteng, G (2019-2023). A school closer to home: the role of mealtimes in fostering language development and aligning home and school learning in rural Kenya and Zambia, ESRC (UKRI-GCRF Education as a Driver of Development Research Grant), £978,491.
  • Blissett, J., Farrow, C., Llewellyn,C., Haycraft, E., Croker, H., Herle, M. (2021-2024). Parenting pre-schoolers with avid appetites: Understanding differential susceptibility to obesogenic environments for future intervention efficacy. £979,388 FEC.
  • Holly, C., Farrow, C., Haycraft, E. & Charter, A. (2022-2024). Co-developing an app-based intervention to increase children's consumption of vegetables, MRC PHIND award, £175,707 FEC
  • Heath, G. Farrow, C., Clarke, G., & Ross, J. (2021-2022). Increasing testing for sexually transmitted infections within the Black Caribbean community, University Hospitals Birmingham. £30,000.
  • External international collaborator with Addessi, E., Bellagamba, F. et al. (2019-2022). Understanding how complementary feeding method longitudinally affects developmental outcomes in young children, Italian Ministry for Education and Research (Ministero dell'Istruzione, Università e Ricerca, MIUR). 483,177 Euros.
  • Dey, P., Budhwar, P., Emrouznejad, A., Joel-Edgar, S., Rodriguez-Espindola, O., & Farrow, C. (2021). (Psychology). Leading a priority area in the Inclusive Transformation Research theme. Midlands Innovation
  • Shapiro, L., Farrow, C., Wadende, P., & Zeidler, H. (2021). Teachers in the home: empowering siblings to prepare pre-school children for school in rural Africa, Research England £75,000.
  • Dey, P., Buckingham, C., Budhwar, P, Chong, K., Chowdhury, S., Farrow, C., Joel-Edgar, S., Parkes, G., Rodriguez, O. Riungu, J., Marete, E. (2021). Towards Circular Economy-Based Sanitation Provision: An entry point to Cleaner, Healthier Cities, Research England, £60,000

Room: SW610
Email: c.farrow@aston.ac.uk
Tel: 01212045384