The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults

Dr. Frances Jensen is the author of The Teenage Brain. As an American neurologist and academic, she is an expert on brain development from infancy to adulthood, so the book title not only describes the book topic but also states her area of expertise. Currently a Professor of the Department of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Jensen has worked in a variety of environments during her career. She was a professor at Harvard Medical School, a Director of Epilepsy Research at Boston Children’s Hospital, and has worked in several pediatric neurology departments. Jensen was the recipient of the Basic Scientist of the Year from the American Epilepsy Society and the Director’s Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health. Jensen uses her role as an expert in a variety of ways throughout the book. On one hand, she attempts to relate to the non-expert reader by outlining her own challenges with parenting, and on the other hand, she uses her expertise to present objective information to back up her opinions. Her dual tone in the book therefore works to draw in the reader while maintaining an educational purpose.

In The Teenage Brain, Jensen’s professional expertise and her role as a mother to two sons converge.