Samantha Dockray
University College Cork, Ireland
The Psychobiology of Adolescent Experience
Abstract. Adolescence is a distinct developmental phase that offers key opportunities for promoting lifelong health and well-being. Recent research has placed an equal emphasis on both the potential vulnerabilities and the opportunities for positive growth during adolescence. Developmental science provides several theoretical frameworks to understand adolescence as an integration of biological, psychosocial, and cultural processes, involving coordinated changes in the body, brain, and socioemotional development. This talk will consider pubertal development as a pivotal biological process that shapes adolescent wellbeing. It will present research findings on puberty and mental health, as well as the relationship between puberty and daily socio-emotional processes. The talk will also describe the persistent challenge of conducting research on the biopsychosocial processes that underpin adolescent development, and some possibilities for addressing these challenges, including the use of community-engaged approaches.
Biography
Professor Samantha Dockray works at the School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork (Ireland). Her key interests relate to the application of psychobiological models of behaviour and emotions to understand adolescent health and development. Prof. Dockray has a particular interest in how puberty contributes to health, as well as the impact of stress and allostatic load on adolescents. Her research and other activities are described at beats-lab.com
Samantha Dockray holds a BSc in Psychology and a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science from Victoria University, Australia, before completing her PhD in Biobehavioral Health at The Pennsylvania State University.
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