National Scientific Council on Adolescence

Jennifer is a professor in the Department of Psychology, Director of the Developmental Social Neuroscience Lab, and Science Director for the Center for Translational Neuroscience, all at the University of Oregon. She studies how the major changes adolescents experience in their brains, bodies, and social worlds relate to their well-being.

Leslie is the Lorry Lokey Chair in Education and Department Head of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, and a Research Scientist at the Prevention Science Institute at the University of Oregon. Leslie’s research focuses on child and adolescent development, gene-environment interplay, and preventive interventions for underserved children and families across community and school settings.

Ron is chair of UCLA CDA’s advisory board and was the founding director of CDA. He is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley, served for 12 years as Director of the Institute of Human Development, previously served as president of the Society for Research on Child Development, and was one of the founding editors of the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Ron has dedicated his career to interdisciplinary team research focused on improving the lives and trajectories of children and adolescents.

Adriana is the Dean of Undergraduate Education at UCLA. She is also a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at UCLA. Adriana’s work examines how neurobiological changes impact behavioral development during adolescence—particularly in the areas of decision-making, risk-taking, and emotional health.

Allyson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also Principal Investigator of The Changing Brain Lab and faculty at the Center for Neuroscience and Society and the Positive Psychology Center, all at UPenn. Allyson’s research focuses on individual differences in brain development and plasticity, with the goal of promoting positive educational and health outcomes for all individuals, regardless of socioeconomic background.

Andrew is a professor in the Department of Psychology and the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. He is also the Director of the Adolescent Development Lab at UCLA. Andrew’s research examines the extent to which the cultural beliefs and values of adolescents are shaped by family relationships, peer relationships, educational adjustments, and psychological and physical health.

Tony is an associate professor in the Department of Human Development at Cornell University. He is also Director of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, the Purpose and Identity Processes Laboratory, and the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement (PRYDE), all at Cornell. Tony’s work examines how notions of race become incorporated into one’s sense of self, and how having a sense of purpose in life serves as a psychological resource for those who cultivate it.

Candice is a Professor of Psychological Science at UC Irvine, and a Research Professor at Duke University. She is also Co-Leader of the new Connecting the EdTech Research EcoSystem (CERES) network at UCI. Candice’s research includes an emphasis on how new technologies, including mobile phones and web-based tools, can be used to understand and improve the lives of young people.

Carol is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Chair Emerita in the Department of Anthropology at Emory University where she also directed the Laboratory for Comparative Human Biology. Carol’s work brings together anthropology, human development, and neuroscience, in international contexts as well as in rural, urban, and semi-urban areas of the U.S.

Jackie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University, and a clinical psychologist at Rhode Island Hospital. She is also the author of the popular newsletter Techno Sapiens. Her research examines the role of digital technology in adolescents’ mental health and development, and how parents can help.

Joanna is the Senior Director of Research at the Search Institute. She previously served as associate professor in psychology at Rutgers University and as a Faculty Affiliate at both Youth-Nex: The U.Va. Center to Promote Effective Youth Development and the Center for Parent and Teen Communication. Joanna studies race and ethnicity as social contexts for youth development.

Linda is a professor in the Department of Psychology and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, both at UC Berkeley. Linda is a behavioral and systems neuroscientist whose research explores how early puberty and experience of harsh or uncertain environments impacts the development of learning and decision-making systems.

Rhonda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She is also a researcher at CHOP PolicyLab and the Associate Director of CHOP’s Child and Adolescent Mood Program. Rhonda’s research focuses on the impact of maternal depression on youth, Black youth and families, prevention interventions, adolescent depression, and youth suicide risk.

Stephen is the director of the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University. Over the past decade, Stephen has studied health risk, health disparities, and resilience among LGBT youth and young adults, with an emphasis on gender and race/ethnic/cultural differences in health.