Associate Professor; CDC Act Early Ambassador to Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Dr. Pizur-Barnekow is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has also served on four MCH workforce development grants including the UW-Milwaukee Pipeline training program, the University of Illinois LEND, the Wisconsin LEND, and the Title V Internship program. Her doctoral research was informed by Psychobiological Attachment Theory and identified that mothers adjust their play style to support reciprocal play with their infants. These findings provided a foundation for a model of co-occupation and her subsequent interest in early childhood mental health. Dr. Pizur-Barnekow has authored or co-authored 33 papers, 9 book chapters and 70 presentations related to early childhood. In addition, she is endorsed by the Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health as an Infant and Family Specialist, serves as the CDC’s Act Early Ambassador to Wisconsin and is the founder of Families First, LLC.