Beatriz Luna

Beatriz Luna is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and holds adjunct roles in Bioengineering, Psychology, Radiology, and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh. She leads the Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development and is affiliated with the Clinical Program. Her work focuses on understanding neural mechanisms underlying adolescent cognitive development and their disruption in psychiatric disorders.

Education: PhD in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh (Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences). Research expertise includes dopaminergic systems, GABA/glutamate neurodevelopment, and functional neuroimaging. She pioneered the Driven Dual Systems Model explaining adolescent risk-taking and cognitive maturation.

Key contributions include linking dopamine availability to developmental trajectories and informing U.S. Supreme Court policies on adolescent brain immaturity. Awards include the Presidential Early Career Award and National Academy of Medicine membership.

Her research spans neurodevelopmental mechanisms in psychosis, substance use, and anxiety/depression. Lab activities emphasize multi-modal imaging and translational studies. She actively mentors postdoctoral and graduate students in developmental cognitive neuroscience.