Dr. B.J. Casey is a pioneering neuroscientist whose groundbreaking work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of adolescent brain development and its implications for society. She currently serves as the Christina L. Williams Professor of Neuroscience at Barnard College of Columbia University, where she directs the Fundamentals of the Adolescent Brain (FAB) lab while maintaining collaborative research connections with Yale University. Prior to her appointment at Barnard in 2022, she was a professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University and an affiliate professor at both the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program of Yale School of Medicine and the Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School. Dr. Casey earned her doctorate in experimental psychology and behavioral neuroscience from the University of South Carolina and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health, where she first encountered functional magnetic resonance imaging technology.
Dr. Casey was among the first scientists to apply functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine typical brain development in children, thereby establishing the foundation for the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience. Her innovative research has revealed critical insights about the adolescent brain, demonstrating that teens and young adults are 'qualitatively different' from both children and older adults in ways that have profound implications for mental health treatment and juvenile justice policy. She served as Principal Investigator for the Yale University site of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®, the largest long-term study of child and adolescent brain development in the United States, securing over $20 million in NIH funding for this landmark research. Her work has directly influenced juvenile justice reform efforts as she has presented scientific findings before state supreme courts and policymakers nationwide, advocating for approaches that reflect the latest neuroscience.
Beyond her research contributions, Dr. Casey has been instrumental in mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists and emphasizing the importance of effectively communicating scientific findings to impact policy and practice. She has expanded her research focus to include precision medicine approaches that align mental health treatments with individuals' specific biological profiles, potentially revolutionizing adolescent mental healthcare. As director of the FAB lab at Barnard, she continues her collaborative research with Yale while building a new research team focused on understanding the complex interplay between brain development and behavior during adolescence. Dr. Casey remains committed to ensuring her research makes a tangible difference in improving societal approaches to adolescent mental health and justice system involvement, embodying her belief that 'your science is only as good as you can convey it.'
