Janis Paterson

Janis Paterson
Born
Janis Eileen McLachlan

(1945-10-04)4 October 1945
Died10 May 2024(2024-05-10) (aged 78)
Alma materUniversity of Auckland
Known forPacific Islands Families longitudinal study
Scientific career
FieldsDevelopmental psychology
InstitutionsAuckland University of Technology
Thesis

Janis Eileen Paterson (née McLachlan; 4 October 1945 – 10 May 2024) was a New Zealand psychologist and academic who was a professor at the Auckland University of Technology.

After a 1993 PhD titled Adolescent perceptions of attachment: parents, friends, and impact on self esteem at the University of Auckland, Paterson moved to Auckland University of Technology, where she worked for more than 20 years.

Paterson was a founder of the Pacific Islands Families study, a longitudinal study following 1000 children born in South Auckland in 2000 to families of Pacific Island descent. The study aims to collect data on the health and socio-economic well-being of the children and their families as they grow through the key developmental stages. Paterson and Collin Tukuitonga were the study's founding directors.

Paterson died on 10 May 2024, at the age of 78.