Dr. Galla is an Associate Professor of Applied Developmental Psychology in the Department of Health and Human Development and a Research Scientist in the Learning Research and Development Center. He received his PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from UCLA and completed postdoctoral training in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Instructional Interests
Dr. Galla teaches courses in the Department of Health and Human Development, including adolescent development, psychological interventions, and research methods.
Scholarly Interests
Dr. Galla’s research examines how self-control and mindfulness contribute to positive development from adolescence to young adulthood. To learn more, visit his lab's website.
Selected Grants
- Principal Investigator (with T. Nokes-Malach (Co-PI), M. Good (Co-PI), & E. Kuo (Co-PI)), “Investigating the Impact of Mindfulness Training to Mitigate Psychological Threat and Enhance Engagement and Learning in Undergraduate Introductory Physics Courses.” National Science Foundation. Project Period: 10/01/2021-09/30/2024. Amount: $1,421,281.
Featured Publications
- Tumminia, M. J., DeVlieger, S. E., Colvin, S., Akiva, T., & Galla, B. M. (2022). Adolescents’ experiences of distress and well-being during intensive mindfulness practice: A mixed-methods study. Mindfulness, 13, 1971-1983.
- Galla, B. M., Choukas-Bradley, S., Fiore, H. M., & Esposito, M. V. (2021). Values-alignment messaging boosts adolescents’ motivation to control their social media use. Child Development, 92(5), 1717-1734.
- Galla, B. M., Tsukayama, E., Yu, A., Park, D., & Duckworth, A. L. (2020). The mindful adolescent: Developmental changes in nonreactivity to inner experiences and its associations with emotional well-being. Developmental Psychology, 56, 350-363.