Speaker's Profile

Dr. Lisa Padilla (she/her) is a developmental psychologist and a Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist at the RAND Corporation. She has over 15 years of research experience focusing on youth mental health and well-being, with a focus on college mental health, health equity and whole child health. Dr. Padilla leverages her knowledge and experience to evaluate impact and translate research findings to inform the development and implementation of evidence-based solutions that enhance youth’s social and emotional wellbeing to help them to thrive later in life. Dr. Padilla's work spans evaluations of large federally funded public health and mental health programs, evaluations of regional programs focused on minoritized and marginalized youth and families, and strategic planning for foundations dedicated to supporting mental health. Her research has appeared in top-tier, peer-reviewed journals and has been presented at nationally and internationally recognized peer-reviewed conferences. She completed her post-doctoral training in primary care research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida.