Meeting - Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine 2026

Dr. Lopez leads AI research at Mayo Clinic, with a focus on predictive analytics for chronic disease management.

Dr. Emily Chen leads research on food safety and preservation at the Food Science Institute. She has published numerous papers on food microbiology.

Dr. Adriana Galván is a Professor of Psychology and the Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is also the Co-Executive Director of the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent. As a neuroscientist her career has been focused on adolescent brain development and how it supports developmental milestones during this significant period of life. Her research expertise focuses on characterizing the neural mechanisms underlying adolescent behavior to inform policies that impact young people. Dr. Galván has published over 130 scientific articles on the topic and is the author of The Neuroscience of Adolescence (Cambridge University Press). Her research, generously funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and numerous private foundations, has been featured in several media outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, PBSNewsHour, and NPR. She received her B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior from Barnard College, Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Cornell. She has received multiple recognitions for her work, including from the National Academy of Sciences, American Psychological Association, Cognitive Neuroscience Society and William T. Grant Foundation. She is also the recipient of the UCLA Gold Shield Faculty Prize. In 2018 she was a Fulbright Scholar in Barcelona and in 2019 she received the White House Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineers (PECASE) award.

Ela Chintagunta is a patient partner, researcher, and advocate whose work focuses on making pediatric and adolescent rheumatology research more accessible, equitable, and driven by the priorities of young people living with autoimmune conditions. As a dual Biology and Chemistry graduate from Grinnell College and recipient of the 2023 Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Outstanding Patient/Caregiver Service Award and the 2020 Arthritis Foundation’s Emerging Leader in Advocacy Award, she bridges lived experience with scientific training to transform how clinicians and researchers partner with youth and families. Since 2021, Ela has served as a Patient Partner with CARRA, collaborating on multi institutional studies to identify patient centered priorities, shape study design, and review grants for meaningful and feasible engagement of patients and caregivers. She is a Council Mentor with the Young Patients Autoimmune Research and Empowerment Alliance (YP AREA), where she mentors new patient partners, co creates tools to make research understandable for adolescents and young adults, and leads independent projects on topics such as needle fear, dissemination strategies, and creating safe spaces for young adult partners in research. Ela has contributed to peer reviewed and in progress manuscripts on youth driven research partnerships and adolescents’ and young adults’ preferences for engaging, understandable, and socially relevant health research findings. Grounded in her own experiences as a young adult with a rheumatic condition, Ela’s work centers on the belief that youth are not just study participants but co creators of better science and better care. Through her advocacy with the Arthritis Foundation, service on national advisory councils, and mentorship of emerging youth leaders, she continues to build infrastructures where disabled and chronically ill young people can lead research, policy, and clinical conversations about their futures.

Dr. Yvette Efevbera is a global health leader, gender equity strategist, and Founder & CEO of SHE Thinks Group, a Pan-African strategy, advisory, and leadership firm advancing health, gender equality, and youth development. With a background spanning academia, philanthropy, and systems leadership, she partners with global organizations and community leaders to co-create equitable strategies that center girls and women. She previously led global adolescent and gender portfolios at the Gates Foundation, shaping multi-million-dollar initiatives to transform gender norms and health outcomes, and contributing to an advocacy partnership between Melinda French Gates, Amal Clooney, and Mrs. Michelle Obama. Dr. Efevbera’s work has been published in The Journal of Adolescent Health, Social Science & Medicine, and BMJ Global Health. As a donor, she also funded two special supplements in The Journal of Adolescent Health focused on evidence to end child marriage in global and U.S. contexts, featuring youth authors and a youth guest editor. She has spoken at leading institutions including the University of Southern California, Michigan State University, and global health and development convenings across Africa, Europe, and North America. She brings a deep commitment to reimagining how systems invest in the leadership, health, and power of girls and young people globally.

Noun Abdelaziz is a community organizer, health researcher, and Global Health Masters student at UC San Diego. With deep roots in public health advocacy, mental health education, and nutrition research, Noun brings both heart and insight to her work. As a Sudanese Egyptian immigrant and poet, she weaves her lived experience into every space she enters and creates connections that are both meaningful and grounded in culture. Noun is a Advocacy Director at the United Women of East Africa Support Team (UWEAST), and Research Consultant for the UCSD Refugee and Immigrant Health Unit, where she works to uplift community voices and drive youth-centered initiatives. She also proudly represents UWEAST on the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition’s Policy Council, advocating for policies that reflect the needs and strengths of refugee communities. Over the years, her leadership has been recognized through several honors, including a nomination for the 2018 California Endowment Youth Awards, the 2019 National Philanthropy Day’s Outstanding Youth/Student Volunteer award, and the American Heart Association’s 2020 Student Scholar award. She was also highlighted by U.S. News & World Report as a “Citizen of the World.” Whether she’s leading research with the UC San Diego Refugee Health Unit or showing up for her community through storytelling and advocacy, Noun continues to center healing, justice, and belonging in all that she does.

Dr. Rachel Goldstein is an Adolescent Medicine specialist and Clinical Informaticist at Stanford. She provides primary care as well as subspecialty care focused on reproductive health, eating disorders, and substance use among other conditions. Her research focuses on expanding reproductive health care access and adolescent confidentiality and the electronic health record.

Ren Culbreath (They/He) is a visionary, storyteller, educator, and zealous advocate for marginalized communities across the globe. Utilizing his lived experiences as a storyteller, Ren has proudly contributed to the successful Planned Parenthood campaign that enshrined reproductive healthcare in Maryland’s constitution! His extensive knowledge in adolescent sexual health and experience in engaging adolescents in these conversations allows him to form meaningful and memorable connections anywhere. Ren has facilitated both presentations and conversations encompassing topics such as (but not limited to); HIV & STIs, Consent, Suicidality, Healthy Relationships, and Minor rights accessing healthcare confidentially in the U.S.A. Ren is devoted to combating the harms impacting marginalized communities: Racism, classism, colonialism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and believes these shifts in culture begin with one dialogue at a time.