Dr. Yalda T. Uhls is the founder and executive director of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA, which is the only youth-centered organization to bridge the gap between social science research and media creation to help storytellers better reflect the lives of adolescents. She is an internationally recognized research scientist, educator, author, and expert on the science of media and adolescent development, the importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and the evolving nature of parenting. Dr. Uhls’ career bridges the worlds of entertainment and psychological research. She was a movie executive at MGM and Sony who earned an MBA and Ph.D. from UCLA. She now serves as an assistant adjunct professor at UCLA and is the author of Media Moms and Digital Dads: A Fact Not Fear Approach to Parenting in the Digital Age. She is also the proud daughter of Persian immigrants.


Dr. Uhls’s expertise on how media content is created, along with the science of how media affects children, informs her unique perspective and is her inspiration for creating CSS. She is a highly-sought guest speaker on a multitude of topics and frequently speaks about the importance of Authentically Inclusive Representation (AIR) and Gen Z’s relationship with mental health and media at events hosted by prominent organizations and companies. Research conducted by Dr. Uhls has been featured in The New York Times, Time Magazine, Good Morning America, USA Today, NPR and many others, and the White House has invited her twice to speak at youth-focused policy discussions. Since 2022, she has served on the NAACP Entertainment Advisory Council, and has been a member of YouTube’s kids and family council since its inception.