In 1987 Albert B. Craig Jr., acting as President of the Foundation, entered into an agreement with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine endowing a Chair (professorship) to be known as “The Staunton Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry.” In the past, the function of the Chair has been to conduct research into developmental pathways for a broad range of mental, emotional, and behavioral health problems in youth.
In 2013, the University of Pittsburgh appointed Dr. Beatriz Luna, PhD as the Staunton Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry. She and her team have an impressive background in the neuroscience of adolescent brain development.
Currently, Dr. Luna is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, and School of Medicine with a secondary appointment in the Department of Psychology. She is the founder and director of the Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. According to Dr. Luna, her research has focused on “understanding the brain basis of behavior during the adolescent period of development… because this is a time associated with risky behavior and the emergence of many psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and mood disorders.”
