Emily Lindsay is a Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Lindsay completed her Ph.D in Social/Personality/Health Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University in 2017 and the completed postdoctoral training in psychoneuroimmunology and health psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She joined faculty at Pitt in 2020.

Her research program focuses on psychological and biological pathways that explain how mindfulness interventions act to decrease stress, and improve wellbeing and physical health outcomes.

Maya Martinko

Maya earned her bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado. She started graduate school in the join Clinical and Biological/Health Psychology Programs at the University of Pittsburgh in 2022.

She has a broad interest in healthy aging and factors that may contribute to accelerated neurocognitive decline.

Abigail Shell

Abby graduated from Ohio State University with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. She worked as a research assistant in a lab that examined the biology of PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer’s Disease before starting graduate school at Pitt. She is currently a first-year graduate student in the joint Clinical and Biological/Health Psychology Program.

Abby became interested in how the environment can shape future health outcomes while working as a nurses aide. She looks forward to investigating how the environment can affect healthy brain aging and what role the immune system plays in that relationship.

Laboratory Manager: Zak Hutchinson, MSFS

Zak was awarded his BS in Biology from Saint Vincent College and his MS in Forensic Science in 2012. He then spend some time working in laboratories as a research scientist before joining Pitt to manage the Behavioral Immunology Laboratory in 2021.

Zak identifies as someone with anxiety within the neurodivergent community. He is fascinated by observed relationships between mental and physical health and interested in contributing to understanding of the pathways that connect them.

Karen has over 20 years of experience working as a clinical trials nurse on biobehavioral/biomedical, industry-sponsored, investigator-initiated, and NIH/DOD funded research trials. She is passionate about research and enjoys contributing to collective knowledge in support of a better tomorrow.

Research Assistant: Sydney Damon

Sydney graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022 with a BS in Psychology and Neuroscience. She joined the lab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at first and then became a staff member when she graduated. She is currently working on Dr. Lindsay’s ReMind project and on the Pathways to Adult Health (PaTH) projects.

Sydney is hoping to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology. She has fallen in love with research and is fascinated by how behaviors and life experiences not only affect people mentally, but also impact physiology and thus physical health.

Research Assistant: Tess Dupree

Tess graduated with a BS in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently pursuing a MS in Research Methodology. She is currently working on the PaTH project.

Tess is interested in how psychosocial factors and behaviors impact biological markers that are risk factors for physical health outcomes.

Sameera Vankamamidi

Sameera is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. She aims to go to medical school. She is interested in learning more about how mental well-being impacts physical health, especially in children and adolescents. 

Tyler Augi

Emily Jones, Ph.D.

Brianna Natale, Ph.D.