Students who attended the 2026 UCLA Summer Research Boot Camp reflect on friendship during adolescence, including how social media can affect friendships and how we can encourage cross-ethnic friendsh...

Risk-Taking and Exploration during Adolescence

Written by: Melissa Bercian, Ben Lim, and Bella Madridejo This post was written by high school students from the UCLA Summer Research Boot Camp in Adolescent Development, led by UCLA […]

On this Adaptivity Podcast episode, Ron talks with Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better, about how we can harnes...

Her work as an educator, scientist and campus leader opens new possibilities for young people at UCLA and beyond.

Psychologists said the changes were a symbolic victory, but warned their effectiveness might be limited.

The UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent (CDA) is launching its first-ever Developmental Science Academy for Youth-Serving Advocates, a no-cost program designed to provide mid-career policy profe...

Puberty is an exciting and often challenging time for teens and their parents. There are many ways parents can support their child during this period.

Adolescence is a critical window of time when policy can help steady the bridge to adulthood or leave young people struggling to get across, two experts told legislators at NCSL’s biennial Youth and Y...

Psychologist Candice Odgers has studied adolescent mental health for 25 years. She fears the current debate around smartphones obscures some of the biggest issues facing teenagers – from the impact of...

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Jeevana Doddi, Kevin Ramirez, and Yonathan Kiflezghie talk with University of Washington professor Lucia Magis-Weinberg about what research says are the...

For years, the warning has been: smartphones are destroying a generation. But developmental psychologist Candice Odgers says that decades of data on teens tells a different story — violence, alcohol u...

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Brooke Smith, Danari Golden, Layah Belay Simmons, and Ananshah Sing who talk with professor Hannah Schacter from Wayne State University in Detroit about...

This report provides practical entry points and real-world examples to help grantmakers translate developmental science into action.

Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence members Jeevana Doddi, Kevin Ramirez, and Yonathan Kiflezghie talk with University of Washington professor Lucia Magis-Weinberg about what research says are the...

New insights into adolescent brain development reveal the unique skills and learning potential that we have during this exciting period of development. Professors Galván and Fuligni will discuss the w...

How adolescent brain development shapes risk-taking and learning—and why relationships, exploration, and access to out-of-school-time opportunities matter