We are pleased to invite you to the SISSA Colloquium "The adolescent brain and mind", a special lecture with Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore from the University of Cambridge, UK.
The colloquium is scheduled for Thursday, 7 May 2026 from 14.00 to 15.00, in Aula Magna Budinich, SISSA.
Abstract. Adolescence is a period of biological, cognitive and social development, shaped by environmental influences including family, peers, education and broader cultural contexts. It is also the developmental stage during which many mental health difficulties first emerge, making it a critical window for early identification, prevention and intervention. This talk will examine how research in developmental cognitive neuroscience has advanced our understanding of adolescence, with a particular focus on heightened sensitivity to social feedback and increased vulnerability to environmental stressors. It will further consider how these scientific insights extend beyond the lab, with implications for education, public health and the legal system, where developmental evidence is increasingly informing policy. By linking empirical research to real-world contexts, the talk will argue for developmentally informed policies and practices that more effectively support young people across multiple domains of their lives.
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore is Chair of Psychology in the Social Sciences (2000) at the University of Cambridge, where she leads the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Group. Her research focuses on the development of the social brain during adolescence, particularly social cognition and peer influence. She has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers, which have been cited more than 70,000 times, and has received multiple international research prizes. She is the author of Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain, which won the Royal Society Book Prize, and is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Association for Psychological Science, the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society.
After the Colloquium, refreshments will be offered.