Frequently Asked Questions  

Listing a mentor: When applying to Psychology Ph.D. programs at Pitt, prospective students apply to work with specific faculty member(s). In the application portal, please list my name if you are interested in working in my lab and want me to review your application.  

Applying to a specific program: One of the many exciting benefits of graduate training at Pitt is the opportunity to pursue a PhD across more than one area of Psychology. My primary affiliation is with Pitt’s Biological & Health Psychology area. I have secondary faculty appointments in the Social and Clinical ares. Therefore, I can accept students in the following tracks: 

• Biological-Health Psychology* 

• Joint Bio-Health/Clinical (Note: I do not take students in the straight Clinical Psychology track)  

• Joint Bio-Health/Social* (see here for more information about an individualized training track) 

*For the upcoming admission cycle, I am especially interested in working with students in this track. 

No, I will not be scheduling phone/Zoom meetings with applicants prior to Dec 1st out of fairness to all applicants. My current student(s) will also not be meeting with prospective applicants prior to Dec 1st. However, trainees In the lab will be involved in the admissions process, so if you are invited for an interview, you will have lots of time to meet with them (and me) and discuss your questions about the lab, my mentorship, Pitt, and Pittsburgh. 

Yes! See more information here.

No, it is not necessary to email me before applying. Whether or not you email me will have no bearing on your ultimate chances of admission; I will carefully review any applications that list me as a potential mentor on official applications submitted through Pitt. However, if you have very specific questions that are not addressed on my website or Pitt’s website, then you can email me.

Here are just a few things that make Pitt stand out:  

Other universities have a health emphasis within their Clinical or Social Psychology programs, but Pitt is unique in that it offers a Ph.D. in Biological and Health Psychology as its own, stand-alone program. Students in this program are able to devote more time to research activities and to developing their program of research, but can also supplement their training with elective coursework in other fields (e.g., immunology/ biology, advanced statistics, social psychology coursework, etc.). See the Pitt Bio-Health Student Handbook for more information. 

There is a vibrant and large community of biological-health psychology researchers in Pittsburgh. Indeed, Pitt is embedded in an urban environment that is rich is collaborative resources and facilitating multidisciplinary team science, including connections with many institutes and centers across campus (check out the Bio-health program and the Pittsburgh Health Psychology Network for more information) and with Carnegie Mellon University.  

Graduate students in Pitt's Psychology Department can pursue training through the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), Pitt and Carnegie Mellon's joint neuroscience research and education program. Students can also pursue a Minor in Quantitative Methodology within the Department, a distinction that appears on students' transcripts.

Within the Psychology department, there are several journal clubs and student-organized groups that offer unique training opportunities for graduate students, such as the Psychoneuroimmunology Journal Club and the Community for Advanced Methodological Learning (CAMeL). 

Yes! 

The Sokol-Hessner Lab has a thorough overview about How Applying to Graduate School Works.  

An important part of your application is your personal statement. Please see Tips for Writing a Good Personal Statement, written by my colleague, Dr. Jennifer MacCormack, for extremely helpful advice on writing your personal statement. The Psychology program at Rutgers–Camden also provides a helpful outline for your personal statement.

If you need more experience and mentorship before applying to Ph.D. programs, Pitt offers a post-baccalaureate program called the Hot Metal Bridge Post-Bac Program. This two-semester fellowship program is designed to help talented students from groups traditionally underrepresented in their academic disciplines bridge the gap between an undergraduate degree and a graduate training program. Fellows receive mentoring and professional guidance from faculty and graduate students as they complete the graduate school application process.