About Us
Message from the Founder
About Our Teen Brains
Every day the human brain is shaping how we think, feel, and connect, yet few people ever learn how this remarkable system actually works. Our Teen Brains was created to close that gap by helping adolescents, caregivers, and educators understand the neuroscience behind learning, emotion, and behavior.
I am Shivek Narang, a neuroscience and bioengineering researcher focused on how the brain learns, recovers, and adapts. My work explores neural circuits of learning and recovery, and this same curiosity drives how I teach and communicate science. When I first began sharing what I was learning in the lab, I saw a powerful reaction in classrooms: students felt relief when they realized that their stress, motivation, and decision making could be explained through biology rather than judgment. That moment of understanding, when science becomes self-insight, became the foundation for Our Teen Brains.
The project translates current neuroscience into language that students, parents, and teachers can understand and use. Our goal is to make evidence-based knowledge accessible and practical, connecting laboratory research to everyday experience.
What We Do
We teach brain science through curiosity, conversation, and compassion.
Our workshops for students turn neuroscience into real world lessons about emotion, motivation, and resilience.
Our seminars for parents and educators apply research to strengthen communication and mental well-being.
Our podcast and learning resources extend these discussions beyond the classroom, making neuroscience part of everyday dialogue.
Since 2021 Our Teen Brains has reached more than four thousand students, parents, and teachers, helping them see the brain not as a mystery but as a system that can be understood, supported, and strengthened.
Our Belief
Every young person deserves to understand their own mind, and every caregiver and educator deserves access to the science that supports them. When we build that understanding, empathy grows. When we learn about our brains, we learn about ourselves. When we connect knowledge with care, meaningful growth becomes possible.
Our Approach
We do not lecture; we collaborate. Each workshop, discussion, and podcast episode is designed to preserve scientific integrity while making complex ideas relatable. Students learn why emotions can feel overwhelming, how stress influences focus, and which daily habits strengthen mental health. Parents and teachers gain a clearer biological framework for interpreting behavior and supporting resilience.
At its core, Our Teen Brains is about connection between neurons, between people, and between generations. Science, when shared with openness and accuracy, becomes not just information but a bridge for empathy and understanding.
Our Impact
Our organization has been giving talks to teenagers and caregivers in public schools and youth forums throughout the bay area, hosting sessions where topics such as neuro-anatomy, the importance of friendship, and peer pressure are all discussed. As our organization spreads outwards to share this knowledge throughout the entire nation, we hope that with this new information, teenagers will think twice before succumbing to peer pressure or making an impulsive decision.
DOLLARS RAISED
Our organization has been raising funds for organizations supporting mental health for students.
YEARS SERVING COMMUNITIES
Our organization has been running for the last seven years, with our presentations helping make a difference in the teenage community.
CHILDREN IMPACTED
By presenting at schools, youth assemblies and organizations, our organization has helped make a difference in the lives of over 5000 teenagers.