Dr. Zalewski studies how child development and parenting is impacted by having a parent who struggles with mental health issues. Her work has included studies of parents who struggle with disorders rooted in emotion dysregulation (ex. borderline personality disorder, substance use).

Furthermore, Dr. Zalewski is formally trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), an evidence based approach to treating individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and other disorders involving high emotional dysregulation. Her lab is currently completing a 5 year clinical trial on DBT Skills for mothers of preschool aged children. She also supervises a DBT Skills practicum at the University of Oregon Psychology Training Clinic.