Our goals in the DSN lab are to:
Conduct rigorous, transparent, and reproducible science that advances our understanding of adolescent neural and pubertal development as associated with mental health and health-risking behavior, especially through social, affective, and motivational pathways.
Translate our science to improve adolescent well-being, by partnering with innovators in academic and non-profit sectors, as well as families and adolescents themselves.
Communicate the core science of adolescent development to help others realize adolescence is a period of opportunity, where well-timed investment and intervention can produce positive change for society.
About the DSN lab:
Adolescence starts with puberty, a time of dramatic changes in our hormones and bodies, which begins as early as 9-10 years of age. Adolescence is typically considered ending in the mid-20s with the assumption of adult rights, roles, and responsibilities. But throughout adolescence, our brains also exhibit significant plasticity, until at least the mid-20s. Work in DSN lab focuses on these biological changes in relation to a variety of social, affective, and motivational processes that are important for adolescent health and well-being – such as self-development, social perception, peer relationships, emotions, decision-making, and goal attainment.
