Zina Trost

Zina Trost is an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Psychology. Her research focuses on cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors influencing chronic pain and disability, particularly addressing societal inequities such as discrimination. She also investigates healthcare provider biases affecting patient care decisions and applies virtual reality (VR) technologies to improve rehabilitation outcomes for spinal cord injury patients.

Her work spans clinical, translational, and basic science research. Key projects include Department of Defense-funded studies exploring immersive VR for neuropathic pain relief and haptic VR to restore touch perception in paraplegia. She collaborates internationally on multisite trials, including RESTORE and virtual walking treatment efficacy investigations.

Recent publications highlight intersections between injustice appraisals, race, and chronic pain; VR-based interventions; and provider bias reduction strategies. Her research has been recognized with the 2024 USASP Early Career Author Award.

• Research Support: Principal Investigator (PI) on spinal cord injury VR treatment grants, Co-PI on health equity and rehabilitation projects
• Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary teams in virtual reality rehabilitation and pain psychology
• Advising: Accepting students for 2024-2025 academic year