My research aims to better understand how to support healthy eating behaviour in children, including supporting children who are fussy eaters and those who are living with overweight and obesity. Much of my research is with families and caregivers, exploring not just what children eat but ‘how’ food is offered to children, and how this can shape their food choices. I use a range of different methods in my research. I work internationally and have funded projects with partners in the UK, Africa, the European Union and the USA. I am passionate about taking the findings of my research to families, children and health care professionals and have co-developed several resources that do this, 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

• Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences

• Member of the ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships peer review college
• Deputy Springboard champion for the Academy of Medical Sciences

• Member of the UK Research and Innovation Talent Peer Review College
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
• Committee member and treasurer of the Midlands Universities Children and Infants eating Group
• Member of the British Feeding and Drinking Group

I teach about developmental psychology and the psychology of eating behaviour. I currently lead the module: Lifespan Development. I also supervise final year project students, Masters and PhD students.

I currently hold funding from the ESRC, MRC and the Golabl Challenges Research Fund. Current externally funded 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. ESRC. £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 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

Room: SW609
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01212045384