Adolescent Brain Development - the Youth Advocacy Division

SCOTT, ELIZABETH, J.D.
Professor – University of Virginia Law School
Phone: (434) 924-3217 Fax: (804) 924-7536 Email: es@virginia.edu
Website: http://www.law.virginia.edu/lawweb/faculty.nsf/FHPbI/5417
Co-director and founder of the Center for Children, Families and Law and law professor at University of
Virginia who specializes in juvenile and family law. Author of “Blaming Youth,” (2002), an essay which
uses scientific research to demonstrate why juveniles are not as culpable from a legal perspective.
SOWELL, ELIZABETH, Ph.D.
Professor – UCLA Medical School, Neurology Dept.
Phone: (310) 206-2101 Fax: Email: esowell@loni.ucla.edu
Website: http://www.neurology.ucla.edu/faculty/SowellE.htm
Led studies of brain development from adolescence to adulthood. Found that during adolescence, the
frontal lobe of the brain (the part that relates to the maturation of cognitive processing and other
‘executive functions), undergoes the most significant changes. The study found that the frontal lobe was
the last part of the brain to fully develop, and thus while adolescent brains may be similar to adults, they
differ in their abilities to reason.
TOGA, ARTHUR, Ph.D.
Professor – UCLA Medical School, Neurology Dept.
Phone: (310)206-2101 Fax: (310)206-5518 Email: toga@loni.ucla.edu
Website: http://www.neurology.ucla.edu/faculty/TogaA.htm
Neuroimaging specialist who worked with NIMH to render MRI scans into a 4-D time-lapse model
demonstrating the evolution of a child’s brain into adulthood (the 4 th dimension is rate of change). The
model demonstrates the growth and movement of different brain matter as children grow into adults.
YURGELUN-TODD, DEBORAH Ph.D.
Neuropsychologist – McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA
Phone: (617)-855-3238
Website:
Fax: Email:
Performed a study comparing what parts of the brain adolescents and adults use when responding to
emotions. The study concluded that adolescents tend to rely on the part of the brain responsible for “gut
reactions,” in contrast to adults who more often use the part of the brain responsible for more rational (not
based on emotional responses) decisions.