معرفی
Jennifer Silk, PhD, is a Full Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, affiliated with The Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on affective disorders in adolescents, integrating neurobiological risk factors with social experiences such as peer interactions, parental influences, and social media use. She employs ecological momentary assessment to study real-time emotional experiences. Dr. Silk is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and has received awards including the National Postdoctoral Association Mentor Award (2015) and the NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2007–2009). She co-leads the Families, Emotions, Neuroscience & Development (FEND) Lab and serves on editorial boards for journals like Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Her recent work examines pandemic impacts on adolescent mental health and neural responses to social evaluation.
Education:
- Ph.D., Temple University
Research Interests: Dr. Silk investigates how neurobiological vulnerabilities intersect with social environments to shape emotional development. Key areas include anxiety, depression, and suicidality in adolescents, with a focus on social media dynamics, peer relationships, and parental communication. She emphasizes translational research to inform prevention and intervention strategies.
Awards & Honors:
- Fellow, Association for Psychological Science (2017)
- National Postdoctoral Association 2015 Mentor Award
- 2015 Postdoctoral Mentor Award (University of Pittsburgh)
- Behavioral Health Patient Empowerment Challenge Award (2013)
Advising & Labs: Dr. Silk has advised graduate students including Margaret Brehm, Matthew Cotter, and Zelal Kilic. Her FEND Lab collaborates on NIH-funded projects exploring adolescent mental health through neuroimaging and digital phenotyping. She is currently not accepting new students for the 2025–2026 academic year.
Labs/Teams: Directs the Families, Emotions, Neuroscience & Development (FEND) Lab, focusing on translational research in adolescent psychopathology.
