Biography

Ron Dahl is a pediatrician and developmental scientist with long history of commitment to interdisciplinary team research. He serves as the Director, Institute of Human Development, and Professor, School of Public Health at UC Berkeley; and Professor, UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program. He has published more than 250 scientific articles in the areas of child and adolescent development, behavioral/emotional health in youth, sleep and its disorders in youth, adolescent brain development, and the public health/policy implications of this work. Most recently, he has helped to establish The Center on the Developing Adolescent, a transdisciplinary research center founded on the recognition that adolescence represents a maturational period of great vulnerabilities and opportunities—with lifelong impact on health, education, well-being, and social as well as economic success. He is currently serving as President of the Society for Research in Child Development.

1-002 - Presidential Address: Integrative Developmental Science: Where Deeper Understanding Connects to Broader Impact

Session Type: Invited Address

Integrative Statement

This presentation will address the core theme of the 2017 SRCD Biennial: Developmental Science and Society. The past decade has witnessed enormous advances in basic understanding of many areas of developmental science—ranging from developmental neuroscience, genetics, epigenetics, molecular biology, science of learning, and developmental psychology, to the growing recognition of the complex interactions with social contexts, which fundamentally shape these developmental processes. Yet, the translation of these insights into real world practice and policy is challenging. This presentation will first describe one perspective on promising approaches to meet these challenges. Next, to illustrate the approach, it will focus on: a) the high-stakes pivotal transition from childhood into adolescence; and b) the importance of social, emotional and motivational learning during pubertal maturation as creating unique leverage points for enduring positive change.

Sub Unit

• Special Events

Chair

• Seth Pollak, University of Wisconsin

Speaker

• Ronald E. Dahl, University of California, Berkeley