Eva is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-director of the UNC Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain and Psychological Development. She was the lead author on a study published in in January 2023 that found habitual checking of social media may impact young adolescents’ brain development.
Eva’s research examines how social and cultural processes shape adolescent brain development, with a focus on both prosocial and risk-taking behaviors, family and peer relationships, and long-term psychological well-being. Her research is cited by the U.S. Surgeon General in his 2023 Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health and the American Psychological Association’s Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence.