The Adolescent Brain Development Summit is an annual convening, hosted by the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent, that brings together funders, scientists, practitioners, policymakers, and youth to examine how we can apply a scientific understanding of adolescent development when creating the policies, programs, and systems that impact young people.
In 2026, for our fifth annual convening, we doubled the size of our audience, increased the number of panels, and expanded our topics to create a larger and more collaborative event. To highlight this expansion and to more accurately explain the nature of the event, we changed Symposium to Summit.
2026 Adolescent Brain Development Summit
Topic: Applying Developmental Science to Support Economic Opportunity
The fifth annual Adolescent Brain Development Summit brought together funders, scientists, practitioners, policymakers, and youth to examine how we can apply a scientific understanding of late adolescent development to support lifelong economic and social well-being, particularly for young people furthest from opportunity.
Speakers included:
- Lisa M. Lawson, JD, President and CEO, Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Candice Odgers, PhD, Associate Dean & Chancellor’s Professor, UC Irvine
- Karen Pittman, MA, Partner, Knowledge to Power Catalysts
- Mimi Haley, PhD, Executive Director, National Youth Employment Coalition
- Vicki Phillips, President and CEO, National Center on Education and the Economy
- Ron Dahl, MD, Founding Director, CDA; Professor, UC Berkeley
- Claudia Villicaña, MPP, Chief Program Officer, MyPath
- Shelley Waters Boots, MPA, Director, Funders for Adolescent Science Translation
- Joanna Smith-Ramani, MPP, Co-Executive Director, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program
- Margaret Sheridan, PhD, Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Michael Crawford, PhD, VP of Strategic Initiatives, America Succeeds
- Anthony Burrow, PhD, Director of Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University
- Erica Bouris, PhD, Senior Director, Jobs for the Future
- Kate Naranjo, MPP, Director of Solution Development, Year Up United
- Laura Handy, MA, Executive Director, Heart of Oregon Corps
- Joanna Williams, PhD, Senior Director of Research, Search Institute
- Rebecca Covarrubias, PhD, Professor, UC Santa Cruz
- Christine Brongniart, MS, Executive Director, City University of New York (CUNY)
- Naomi Castro, PhD, Chief Program Officer, Career Ladders Project
- Catherine Hartley, PhD, Professor, New York University
- Anthony Haddaway, Student Ambassador, CUNY & ASAP
- Paige Swanstein, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Student Basic Needs Coalition
- Jackie Ramirez, a team lead at Heart of Oregon Corps
- Jaime Jimenez, Youth Policy and Engagement Coordinator, National Youth Employment Coalition
- Walter Mendez, Chair of the Los Angeles Alumni Board, Year Up United
- William Navarrete Moreno, Community Advisory Group Member, Aspen Institute
Explore Past Events
2025 Adolescent Brain Development Symposium
Topic: Building Economic Opportunity during Adolescence
The fourth annual Adolescent Brain Development Symposium, hosted by the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent, convened policymakers, youth-serving organizations, young people, and researchers to talk about developmental science and ‘Building Economic Opportunity during Adolescence.’
Speakers included:
- Kyle Hartung, EdD, Associate Vice President, Jobs for the Future
- Stephanie Peete, MPA, Senior Director of Workforce Development, Say Yes Buffalo
- Leah Somerville, Professor, Harvard University
- Devon Gray, President, End Poverty in California
- Amaris Gilbert, Youth Advocate, CalHOPE
- Lilian Beaudoin, Apprentice, Say Yes Buffalo
- Anthony Waller, Co-Founder and CEO, Athlete to Athlete
2024 Adolescent Brain Development Symposium
Topic: The Impact of Civic Engagement in Adolescence
The third annual Adolescent Brain Development Symposium explored the topic of ‘The Impact of Civic Engagement in Adolescence’. During the Symposium, panelists explored how to help young people develop their identity through culturally informed programs and opportunities; the importance of creating spaces for diverse communities where adolescents feel they belong and are contributing to their communities; the importance of providing adolescents with opportunities to take positive risks and explore the world around them; and the need for programs that help adolescents cultivate purpose in their lives and find pathways to pursue their purpose.
Speakers included:
- Eva Tezler, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Joanna Williams, PhD, Senior Director of Research, Search Institute
- Natasha Duell, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
- Cheyenne Brady, MPH, Associate Director of Youth Programs, Center for Native American Youth
- Le’Yondo Dunn, CEO, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School
- Veronica Terriquez, PhD, MEd, Professor, UCLA
- Jose Salvador Orellana, Executive Director and Co-founder, LOUD for Tomorrow
- Jenna Makes Good, Member and Leader, Center for Native American Youth
- Jessa Bayudan, Volunteer and Alumnus, LOUD for Tomorrow
- LaJuan Allen, MPP, Director, Vote16USA, Generation Citizen
- Audrey Rothenberg, Vote16 Culver City
- Haafizah Carter, Alumna, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School
2023 Adolescent Brain Development Symposium
Topic: Adolescent Brain Development & Public Policy
The 2023 Symposium on Adolescent Brain Development brought together experts from the science, policy, and funding communities to explore how research-based insights can inform and improve the policies and practices that serve young people. Panelists discussed how the science of brain and behavioral development during adolescence can be used in the child welfare system, juvenile justice, and issues of autonomy rights to better support the needs of young people.
Speakers included:
- Judy Cameron, PhD, Professor, University of Pittsburgh
- Phil Fisher, PhD, Director, Stanford Center on Early Childhood
- Shimica Gaskins, JD, President and CEO, GRACE/End Child Poverty CA
- Dylan Gee, PhD, Associate Professor, Yale University
- Julie Maslowsky, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Illinois Chicago
- Emily Buss, JD, Law Professor, University of Chicago
2022 Adolescent Brain Development Symposium
Topic: Supporting Exploratory Learning During Adolescence
Our first annual Symposium on Adolescent Brain Development in May 2022 brought together researchers, practitioners, and funders to discuss the following key question: How can we best support our adolescents’ need to explore and learn about themselves and the worlds around them?
Speakers included:
- Ron Dahl, MD, Founding Director, CDA; Professor, UC Berkeley
- Jamila Walida Simon, MS, Civic Engagement Specialist, New York State 4-H
- Wouter van den Bos, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Amsterdam
- Molly Pencke, Senior Program Manager, Bezos Scholars Program
- Catherine Hartley, PhD, Professor, New York University
- Kenneth Ginsburg, MD, MSEd, Founding Director, Center for Parent and Teen Communication; Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Nancy Deutsch, PhD, Associate Dean, University of Virginia
- Joyce Pae, MA, Principal, The Chicago Academy