PNI Lab Fall 2024; Back (L to R): Rebecca Reed, Allyson Beldham, Joelle Grossman, Jules Depro. Front (L to R): Abby Hillmann, Erin O'Donnell, Blayne Becker, Catherine Reeder, Diti Tiwari, Bianca Dunay, Qianru Wu.
Lab Director
Rebecca G. Reed, Ph.D.
Rebecca Reed is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She received her B.S. in Physiology and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Arizona. She completed postdoctoral research training at the University of Kentucky before joining the University of Pittsburgh in Fall 2019.
Dr. Reed's research investigates biopsychosocial factors that contribute to healthy biological and cognitive aging. She focuses on the effects of stress on immune health and biological aging in mid-life and older adulthood and the role of protective factors (e.g., emotion regulation, social relationships) in attenuating stress-health relationships.
Graduate Students
Abby Hillmann, M.S.
Abby joined the PNI Research Lab in Fall 2020. Abby completed her undergraduate education at the University of Kentucky, where she received a BA in biology and a BS in psychology. She came to the University of Pittsburgh to combine her interests in these two fields by joining the Biological-Health Psychology program.
She’s interested in investigating the interaction between psychosocial factors and physiological health, specifically the mechanisms through which social relationships and stress affect immune health.
Research Assistants
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Roma Dhingra
Roma joined the lab in summer 2021. She is an undergraduate student at Georgetown University majoring in biology of global health. She is intersted in health psychology and studying how emotions can impact the physical body.
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Anna Casey
Anna joined the lab in Fall 2022. She is a junior majoring in Biology and Psychology and minoring in Chemistry at Pitt. She is interested in the link between physical health and psychology, specifically how stress impacts disease. After graduating, she hopes to go on to the healthcare field.
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Erin O'Donnell
Erin joined the lab in Fall 2022. She is majoring in Biology and Psychology with minors in Spanish and Chemistry. She is interested in learning more about how biopsychosocial factors affect health.
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Joelle Grossman
Joelle joined the lab in Fall 2022. She is majoring in psychology with a minor in neuroscience. After graduating, she plans to attend medical school and study neuropsychiatry, specifically how trauma affects the brain.
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Allyson Beldham
I joined the lab in Fall 2023. I am a senior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am majoring in psychology and minoring in Hispanic language and culture. After graduating, I am planning on going to graduate school for occupational therapy. I am interested in the connection between psychological and physical health.
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Bianca Dunay
Bianca joined the lab in Fall 2023. She is majoring in psychology with a minor in chemistry. She is interested in learning more about health psychology and how biological, social, and psychological factors influence overall health and illness.
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Blayne Becker
Blayne joined the lab in Fall 2023. She's a junior majoring in Psychology at Pitt. She is interested in learning how psychological and biological factors intersect and affect an individual's health.
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Catherine Reeder
Catherine joined the lab in Fall 2023. She is a junior majoring in Psychology with minors in Chemistry and Neuroscience at Pitt. She is interested in learning more about the impact that stress and daily life have on immune health.
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Jules Depro
Jules joined the lab in Fall 2023. She is a junior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology. She plans to attend graduate school after graduating and is interested in studying the link between mental and physical health. She hopes to go into the healthcare field after school.
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Qianru Wu
Qianru joined the lab in Fall 2023. They are a undergraduate student majoring in Biological Science and Psychology at Pitt. They are interested in learning more about the interconnection between biology, psychology, and socioenvironmental factors, specifically how these aspects impact physical health.
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Diti Tiwari
Diti joined the lab in Fall 2023. Diti is a junior majoring in Psychology and Creative Writing with a minor in Chemistry. She is interested in learning about the interconnect between various biopsychosocial factors and how they impact the daily experiences of adults.