Dr. Andrea Pelletier-Baldelli’s program of research investigates social motivation during adolescence and how different social behaviors both online and offline can increase risk for challenges to mental health. In her work, she uses functional MRI to study how the brain influences (and is influenced by) these various social processes to identify how mental illness onsets and develops over time. Andrea’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health with her most recent award focused on identifying how childhood adversity and disruptions to social motivation may form a pathway to risk for suicide thoughts and behaviors. With this work, Andrea hopes that knowledge around risk and illness onset will be enhanced and promote early intervention for children and adolescents.