Sarah Blakemore

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, is one of the foremost developmental cognitive neuroscientists in the world. She has made a unique and transformative contribution to our understanding of human adolescent development that influences policy on education, mental health and criminal justice. She has pioneered research on the adolescent brain using innovative behavioural and neuroimaging methods. She identified marked transformations in self-awareness, social understanding, learning and decision-making, during adolescence, which are linked to neurophysiological maturation and which fuel susceptibility to mental health problems. Blakemore now leads intervention trials utilising these insights to enhance resilience in young people.