Shady El Damaty

Georgetown University

The Impact of Adverse Events on Adolescent Brain Development

Cognitive development throughout adolescence is known to reflect our early life experiences, but which structures and processes in the brain are responsible for this? In this interview, Shady El Damaty, Ph.D. student at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington D.C, USA, discusses his fascinating research into childhood brain development and the technologies that facilitate his work. A particular interest of the project is discerning the developmental impact of adverse outcomes, such as violence and economic disparity on the brain maturation in adolescents.



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Shady El Damaty

Shady El Damaty

Biography

Shady El Damaty, PhD student, Georgetown University More
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Shady El Damaty

Georgetown University

Shady El Damaty is a PhD candidate interested in the fusion between computer science, neurobiology, and biomedical engineering for the advancement of human society. He has received extensive training in neuroscience, beginning with a BSc in neuroscience from the University of Rochester, an MSc in biomedical science from Drexel University and now continuing into his PhD studies at Georgetown University. Shady’s research is in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience as applied to juvenile justice and violence prevention. This research is made possible by a National Institute of Justice fellowship enabling Shady to extend brain imaging into high-risk youth populations often ignored in mainstream developmental cognitive neuroscience. In 2018-2019, Shady will recruit over 50 teen participants from Washington D.C. communities challenged with violence in order to further understand how environmental adversity interacts with teenage brain development and social attitudes. Ultimately, Shady seeks to harmonize spurts in scientific and technological advancement with social transformation in order to sculpt a more peaceful, just and collaborative global culture.