Peter Hepper is currently Professor of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast and Director of the Fetal Behaviour Research Centre at Royal Jubilee Maternity Service Belfast. He achieved an Honours degree in psychology from the University of Exeter and Doctorate from the University of Durham. He has held visiting professorships in Australia, Japan and USA. He is currently Head of the School of Psychology at Queens and a Fellow of the British psychological Society.

He has published over 100 scientific papers and received over £3m in grants to support his work on the behaviour of the fetus. His particular interests are the effects of alcohol on the fetus, fetal learning and what functions the learning and behaviour of the fetus serve for life after birth. In 2007 he was awarded The Thomas R. Verny Award for Outstanding Contributions to Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health by the American Association of Pre- and Perinatal Psychology & Health.