معرفی
Dr. Laura Bechtiger is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, under Prof. Lilly Shanahan. Her research focuses on developmental processes related to mental health disparities, intergenerational mental health dynamics, and longitudinal cohort studies. She holds degrees from the University of Zurich (BSc, MSc, PhD in Psychology) and studied at the University of Padova, Italy, graduating from the Max Planck International Research School on the Life Course (LIFE).
Her work examines maternal mental health’s impact on adolescent well-being, using population-based prospective-longitudinal data. She co-leads the R Peer Mentoring Group, fostering early-career researchers using statistical software R.
Key areas include risk factors for mental health problems, substance use in youth, and social relationships. Recent publications analyze pandemic mental health resilience, cannabis use patterns, and biomarker-based substance use tracking.
Her research emphasizes methodological rigor, integrating biological (hair toxicology) and self-reported data to study adolescent and young adult behaviors. No awards are explicitly listed, though her contributions to youth development research are notable.
She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and contributes to the Jacobs Center’s mission, focusing on risk and resilience in youth development through innovative longitudinal approaches.
