Dr. Pamela Morris-Perez explains, “Suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts are far more common than many realize and are likely to be exacerbated in the wake of COVID-19.” Dr. Morris-Perez offers an introductory understanding of adolescent suicide and prevention. She will demystify adolescent suicide and discuss why it is ok (and important) to ask directly about suicide. The goal is to empower parents, teachers, and pediatricians to have the knowledge to ask and respond to adolescents’ suicidal thinking, and to help more adolescents get the care they need more quickly in hope that doing so will save more lives. The lecture includes a presentation followed by a 15 minute Q&A session. Dr. Pamela Morris-Perez is a Professor of Applied Psychology at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and an Affiliated Professor at the NYU School of Global Public Health. An interdisciplinary scholar, Morris-Perez conducts research at the intersection of developmental psychology, suicidology, education, and policy. Her newest research, borne from the loss of her 17-year-old daughter to suicide in 2019, addresses adolescent suicide from a developmentally informed, population-health perspective as part of the newly launched center, ARCADIA (A Research Center for Adolescent Interconnected Approaches) for Suicide Prevention. With over $6M in funding from the William T. Grant Foundation and NIMH, she brings prevention to the spaces where youth are – schools and emergency departments – to help more youth connect to care more quickly.