Mind Matters: the mental health space between teens and screens

Meet the Panelists:

Syrus Silva — A youth volunteer and digital artist who’s worked with Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, Silva represents the lived-experience perspective at this forum — a young person, digital artist, and advocate whose voice reflects the generation most directly impacted by the issues under discussion.

Griffin Morrow — A journalist born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia. For the past three years, Morrow has worked to provide coverage of the underserved region as a reporter for the nonprofit outlet 100 Days in Appalachia. Griffin’s work has also been featured in outlets such as The Intercept and More Perfect Union. Born at the turn of the 21st century, he both represents and has researched the lived-experience of a digital native.

Jennifer Emmel — Emmel, a Ph.D. in biomedical science, focusing on neuroscience and molecular oncology, is an attorney with Beasley Allen, the law firm that represented a woman in KGM v. Meta and YouTube. The bellwether suit accused major social media companies of designing products to be addictive, especially to children. And a jury agreed, ordering the companies to pay $6 million in damages. The verdict marks a significant milestone in ongoing lawsuits alleging that addictive features built into social media platforms have caused serious psychological harm to children and teens.

Dr. Ana Radovic — Associate professor of pediatrics, psychiatry and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Radovic is a leading researcher and clinician whose work focuses on adolescent mental health, digital media use, and technology-based interventions. Her research focuses on how to use technology to improve mental health services for adolescents and young adults with symptoms of depression or anxiety.

Erin Barr — Director of Youth Services, Barr leads youth mental health services at one of the region’s most established human services organizations — Jewish Family and Children’s Services. She also directs UpStreet, which provides accessible, community-based mental health programming for young people across western Pennsylvania, with a focus on early intervention and reducing barriers to care.

Dr. Candice Biernesser — Assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Biernesser has spent nearly two decades working with adolescents and their families, with a primary focus on the study and prevention of adolescent suicide. Her research centers on developing digital mental health interventions to reduce the impact of negative online experiences and prevent suicide risk among adolescents. She is particularly interested in developing novel suicide prevention interventions for adolescents who are underserved within traditional mental health services, namely youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth.

James Brown — Director of education at the Frick Environmental Center, Brown brings an educational lens to the discussion, exploring how natural, social, and institutional environments shape the mental health of youth. His work at the Frick Environmental Center connects ecological well-being with human wellness in meaningful, community-rooted ways.