Research output per year
Research output per year
MA, GradCert, MSc
Research Overview
My research interests lie in the interrelation between generations, and the role of childhood environment in shaping individuals' life trajectories. I am motivated by my understanding of the family as a micro-social context that reflects, responds, and contributes to larger economic and social systems. Centred in my work are two outcomes connected to persistent gender inequalities: work and well-being. My research aims to provide insights into the ways in which gender and childhood family interact to shape experiences of adulthood in the UK.
One key aspect of my work is that I use large-scale, nationally representative social surveys that contain rich data on families and households over long periods time. This quantitative approach allows me to engage with existing theoretical assumptions about the importance (or non-importance) of family for child outcomes, and it allows me to test these assumptions against high-quality data. While contextualising my work within the larger socio-cultural environment of institutions and policies that contribute to gendered social roles and socio-economic trajectories, I analytically focus on the micro-level processes between parents, siblings, and adult children to better illuminate how disparity in men and women’s access to opportunities is generated.
Education
I had the privilege of conducting my PhD research with funding from the ESRC's research centre on Micro-Social Change (MiSoC), under the supervision of Professor Susan Harkness and Professor Esther Dermott. My thesis was submitted May 2026.
I hold a MSc with distinction in Policy Research from the University of Bristol, a Graduate Certificate in Statistics from University of Sheffield, and a Scottish M.A. in Psychology from Univeristy of St Andrews.
Reserach Projects in Progress
The role of childhood family on adult outcomes: connecting heterosexual parents' paid and unpaid labour strategies with children's occupational outcomes using the UK Household Longitudinal Study
The socio-economic stratification of siblings' social emotional similarities and differences using the UK Household Longitudinal Study
Awards & Grants
Research Centre Affiliations
Postdoctoral Researcher, King's College London
10 Jun 2026 → 20 Apr 2028
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
Law, F. (Recipient) & Waddell, L. C. (Recipient), 2 Sept 2024
Prize: Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants
Waddell, L. C. (Recipient), 19 Mar 2021
Prize: Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants
Waddell, L. C. (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants
Student thesis: Master's Thesis › Master of Science (MSc)