Natasha Duell
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Assistant Professor
Contact Information
- Office: 47-21D
- Phone: 805-756-2004
- Email: nduell@calpoly.edu
Education
Postdoctoral Training (NIH T32, NSF SPRF), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ph.D., (Developmental) Psychology, Temple University
B.A., Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California Irvine
Courses Taught
CD 1102 Orientation to the Major
CD 3306 Adolescence
CD 3329 Advanced Research Methods in Developmental Science
Research Interests
Broadly, my research takes a strengths-based approach to identifying contexts and individual characteristics that facilitate adaptive decision-making among youth through three lines of inquiry: (1) positive risk taking, (2) social and biological influences on decision-making, and (3) cross-national comparisons of behavior. To answer my research questions, I use advanced statistical modeling and methods including experimental tasks, ecological momentary assessments, fMRI, and hormone samples. As a scholar, I am committed to cultivating an equitable and inclusive academic environment and to ethical and transparent scientific practices. Learn more about me at my website: www.natashaduell.com
Selected Publications
Duell, N., Alvarez, G. M., Telzer, E. H., & Muscatell, K. A. (2025). Racial/ethnic discrimination shapes adolescent brain connectivity: Social buffers and implications for executive function. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 76, 101625.
Duell, N., Lansford, J. E., Rothenberg, W. A., Peña Alampay, L., Al-Hassan, S. M., Bacchini, D., Bornstein, M. H., Chang, L., Deater-Deckard, K., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Gurdal, S., Junla, D., Liu, Q., Long, Q., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Uribe Tirado, L. M., Yotanyamaneewong, S., & Steinberg, L. (2025). Positive risk taking across the world. Journal of Research on Adolescence, e70021. doi: 10.1111/jora.70021
Duell, N., Kwon, S-J., Do, K. T., Turpyn, C. C., Prinstein, M. J., Lindquist, K. A., & Telzer, E. H. (2022). Positive risk taking and neural sensitivity to risk decision making in adolescence. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 57, 101142.
Duell, N., & Steinberg, L. (2021). Adolescents take positive risks, too. Developmental Review, 62, 100984.
Duell, N., Steinberg, L., Icenogle, G., Chein, J., Chaudhary, N., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Fanti, K. A., Lansford, J. E., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Tapanya, S., Uribe Tirado, L. M., Alampay, L. P., Al-Hassan, S. M., Takash, H. M. S., Bacchini, D., & Chang, L. (2018). Age patterns in risk taking across the world. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47, 1052-1072.
Student Publications
Kreidell, K., Duell, N. (2023). When "peer pressure" is positive. Frontiers for Young Minds. 11:1108335. doi: 10.3389/frym.2023.1108335
Netschytailo, H., Duell, N., Prinstein, M. J., & Telzer, E. H. 2022. How adolescents’ resiliency mitigates the relation between household dysfunction and maladaptive behavior. UCLA Undergraduate Research Journal of Psychology, 9, 40-55.
Huang, Z., & Duell, N. (2020). A novel music therapy intervention utilizing pop music to reduce adolescent anxiety and depression. Journal of Student Research, 9, ISSN: 2167-1907
Cal Poly Student Presentations
Ammann, R., Tucknott, S., Parenting Across Cultures Research Group, & Duell, N. (2025). Parenting, wellbeing, and mental health outcomes in adolescents. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association, Las Vegas, NV. WPA Award Recipient.
Greisdorf, S., Duell, N., Bertrand, C., Folker, A., Parenting Across Cultures Research Group, & Deater-Deckard, K. (2025). Longitudinal patterns of risk taking and risk perception across adolescence in seven countries. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association, Las Vegas, NV. WPA Award Recipient.
Nunn, J., Bibby, E., Parenting Across Cultures Research Group, & Duell, N. (2025). The role of peer support in adolescent risky sexual behavior across cultures. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association, Las Vegas, NV. WPA Award Recipient.