Researcher in the field of Developmental Psychology and lecturer (research methods, developmental psychology). Peer relations during youth (close, dyadic friendships or with the peer group at large) are a well-established context for socioemotional development. During my PhD, my work focused on those lacking such experiences, who display anxious, shy behaviors when interacting with peers and withdraw from the social scene. Using a longitudinal design and sophisticated statistical techniques (growth curve modeling), our study revealed distinct developmental trajectories of withdrawn youth, with significant heterogeneity in psychosocial adjustment (loneliness, depressive symptoms, peer adversity). Recently, I have explored how different social experiences (having friends, friendship quality, peer exclusion and bullying, or displaying prosocial behavior) might combine to buffer or to exacerbate the impact of anxious withdrawal, contributing to maladaptive or more well-adjusted developmental pathways. I am also interested in integrating knowledge from different approaches (psychology, biology, neurosciences), in a way that explores the biological basis of maladjustment in social behaviors (anxious withdrawal) and peer relationships (friendship, exclusion, bullying), as well as the influence of early parental care experiences (attachment representations). Such advance in knowledge is key to better understand the genesis of shyness and social anxiety, but also to the development of more effective prevention/intervention strategies that buffer vulnerable children from the harmful effects of poor quality relationships.