Distinguished Career Contributions to Science Award Winner: Dr. Mitch Prinstein, PhD, ABPP

Distinguished Career Contributions to Science Award Winner: Dr. Mitch Prinstein, PhD, ABPP

The SCCAP Distinguished Career Award for Science recognizes a researcher in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology who has made major empirical and/or theoretical contributions to the field and whose body of work has had broad impacts that have shaped advances in scientific theory and knowledge, training and education, public policy, and clinical practice.

SCCAP is delighted to present the 2025 Distinguished Career Contributions to Science Award to Mitch Prinstein, PhD, ABPP. Dr. Prinstein is currently the Chief of Psychology Strategy and Integration at the American Psychological Association, John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Co-Director of the Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Over the course of his career, Dr. Prinstein has made major contributions to the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology through science, training, and advocacy.

Dr. Mitch Prinstein is a nationally renowned clinical psychologist whose career has significantly advanced the science of adolescent mental health. With over 25 years of continuous NIH funding, his research has shaped our understanding of how peer relationships and interpersonal experiences contribute to youth depression, health risk behaviors, self-injury, and suicide risk . More recently, his work has integrated neurobiological methods and focused on adolescents’ technology-mediated interactions, helping to illuminate how digital contexts affect social and emotional development. He has published more than 200 scholarly articles and several influential books, including widely used academic texts and the bestselling popular science book Popular. His contributions have earned numerous honors, including awards for scientific achievement and innovation.

Beyond his groundbreaking research, Dr. Prinstein is a dedicated mentor and leader in psychological training, having guided countless students and early career psychologists, and receiving national recognition for his mentorship. Through his leadership at American Psychological Association, he plays a pivotal role in shaping national science policy, advocating for evidence-based approaches in mental health across sectors. Dr. Prinstein has convened and led rapid-response expert panels, including the team that developed APA’s first-ever Health Advisory—focused on adolescent social media use and mental health. He is an prominent psychological science communicator, regularly featured in major media outlets including the New York Times, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC and called upon by institutions such as the U.S. Congress, the Surgeon General’s office, Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to inform policy and public understanding of youth mental health needs.

In summary, through his research, mentoring, advocacy, and public engagement, Dr. Prinstein exemplifies a career devoted to advancing clinical child and adolescent psychological science and its impact on society. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Prinstein on receiving SCCAP’s Distinguished Career Contributions to Science Award. He will present his impressive work in an Invited Address at the 2025 APA Convention this August. We look forward to honoring his substantial influence on the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology then!