Research Interests: adolescent neurodevelopment, risk-taking, substance use, anxiety, depression, prosocial behaviors, peer influence 

Advisor: Dr. Amanda Guyer, Dr. Paul Hastings 

Sarah Beard is a Ph.D. student in Human Development at UC Davis. Her current research interests are in are in adolescent risk behaviors and mental health, particularly substance use, and influence of peer factors (e.g., prosocial peers, acceptance/rejection) and neural function, using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Before joining the TEEN Lab and HDGG, she earned a Master’s in Psychological Science from the University of North Florida (advisor Dr. Jennifer Wolff), with a thesis titled, "Prosociality and Risk: How Risky Decision-Making in Young Adults Relates to Altruistic Tendencies, Empathic Concern, and Prosocial Peer Affiliation." She also has research background in cognitive and evolutionary psychology, as well as work experience in university administration. 

Presentations:

Beard, Sarah (March 2019) Neural Response to Social Exclusion, Depressive Symptoms, and Substance Use in Mexican-Origin Adolescents. Poster presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, MD.

Beard, Sarah (March 2019) Low Income Predicts Reduced Neural Response to Reward in Mexican-Origin Adolescents. Poster session at the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, MD.

Selected Publications:

Beard, S. J., Hastings, P. D., Ferrer, E., Robins, R. W., & Guyer, A. E. (2021). Neural response to social exclusion moderates the link between adolescent anxiety symptoms and substance use. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroImaging.

Venticinque, J. S., Chahal, R., Beard, S. J., Schriber, R. A., Hastings, P. D., & Guyer, A. E. (2021). Neural responses to implicit forms of peer influence in young adults. Social Neuroscience,16, 327-340, https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2021.1911843  

Beard, S. J., & Wolff, J. M. (2020). The moderating role of positive peers in reducing substance use in college students. Journal of American College Health, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1784907

Swartz, J. R., Weissman, D. G., Ferrer, E., Beard, S. J., Fassbender, C., Robins, R. W., ... & Guyer, A. E. (2019). Reward-Related Brain Activity Prospectively Predicts Increases in Alcohol Use in Adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.05.022 

Grotuss, J., & Beard, S. J. (2017). Appearance and beauty in girls. In T. Shackleford & V. Weekes-Shackleford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer International Publishing.

Grotuss, J., & Beard, S. J. (2017). Procedures for dealing with bullying. In T. Shackleford & V. Weekes-Shackleford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer International Publishing.

Grotuss, J. & Beard, S. J. (2016). Rome was not built in one day: Underlying biological and cognitive factors responsible for the emergence of agriculture and ultrasociality. Behavioral & Brain Sciences. [Invited peer commentary on ‘The economic origins of ultrasociality’ by J. Gowdy & L. Krall].