Texas A&M Psychology

Join us in giving a massive congratulations to Dr. Brian Albanese and Dr. Amanda Wright for being named "Rising Stars" by the Association for Psychological Science (APS)! This highly prestigious award recognizes early-career researchers who are doing outstanding, influential work and are on a clear trajectory to make a lasting impact on their field. We are incredibly proud to celebrate these two brilliant minds as they shape the future of mental health and psychological science right here in the Texas A&M University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

Both faculty members are pushing the boundaries of what we know about the human mind and behavior. Dr. Albanese’s innovative clinical research focuses on "transdiagnostic risk factors", core vulnerabilities that cross over multiple conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors, in order to help develop better, more targeted interventions. Meanwhile, Dr. Wright, who officially joins the department this fall, is fundamentally changing how we understand personality development, demonstrating that our traits continue to change across our lifespans and can significantly predict major health, career, and relationship outcomes. Gig 'em and congratulations to these phenomenal researchers on this well-deserved honor!

Read the full story here: tx.ag/APS26RisingStars

We want to give a big department kudos shoutout to Dr. Jessica Bernard, who was informed recently that a paper that she wrote in 2024 was given the Best Review Paper designation in the journal Cerebellum. The paper reviews how a circuit may be important and useful to the study of Alzheimer's Disease in addition to aging. Dr. Bernard says that there have been some hints about this in the literature of study and there is some converging evidence being reviewed to highlight its potential important in hopes of sparking further study.

This is the manner of study and hard work being done that could drastically improve an untold number of lives, and our department could not be more proud. Way to go, Dr. Bernard! Gig 'em!

We have quite the accomplishment to announce! Our very own Dr. Rob Heffer has been awarded the APTC Clinic Director Mentor Award at the Association of Psychology Training Clinic’s annual conference in Plano, Texas. The purpose of this award is to recognize an APTC Training Clinic Director who demonstrates extraordinary mentorship of another training clinic directors! Dr. Heffer was clearly deserving of this award as he is known to not only be a great mentor within our organization, but he is also known to be an amazing colleague and training clinic director. Dr. Heffer has been nominated by his peers and has garnered a sterling reputation as a colleague and mentor in the clinical field. Congratulations, Dr. Heffer! Gig 'em!

Texas A&M’s Office of Community Engagement and the Student Government Association have announced the 2026 Community Engagement Award recipients. We are thrilled to share that our department’s own Dr. Vani Mathur will be honored this year at the Office of the President’s Staff and Student Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 23rd at the Rudder Theatre Complex.

This award celebrates faculty, staff, and students who embody "Selfless Service" through impactful volunteerism. Dr. Mathur is being recognized for her work as the co-founder of the Community Pain Network, a non-profit that unites local providers, researchers, and leaders to support those living with chronic pain in the Bryan/College Station area. For over six years, she has also utilized this network to provide Texas A&M students with invaluable, hands-on research and community-learning opportunities.

We could not be more proud of Dr. Mathur's work and deserved recognition. Gig em'!

We have the honor of announcing that our own Dr. Zina Trost will be featured in the Fallon-Marshall Lecture Series, presented by the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research on April 6th, at 12:00 PM in MSC 2300 B. Dr. Trost will be presenting on some of her latest research, "Body & Mind: Using Virtual Reality to Push the Boundaries of Pain Treatment and Human Transformation”. This lecture series provides the opportunity to share the outstanding scholarship happening within the College of Arts & Sciences, and we could not be more proud that Dr. Trost and her research have been asked to be a part of this annual series event.

More information can be found at the College of Arts & Science's Fallon-Marshall Lecture Series site, here: https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/glasscock/programs/fallon-marshall/

We would like to give a huge department shoutout to Jasmine Alli for being selected to receive a large dissertation research grant from the Mental Research Institute, which provides grants to fund breakthrough research projects that use an interactional approach to facilitate healthy relationships.

Jasmine’s dissertation investigates the role of caregivers' emotion socialization behaviors in children’s emotional functioning. Using quantitative data from Black caregivers, she examines how caregivers’ beliefs about children’s sadness, worry, and fear interact with their experiences of racial discrimination, community violence exposure, and material hardship to influence their emotion socialization practices and, in turn, children’s emotional outcomes.

By integrating sociocultural stressors with family-level processes, Jasmine’s research advances culturally responsive frameworks of emotional development and informs prevention and intervention efforts aimed at supporting Black youth and families.

The department is proud of Jasmine's hard work and recognition. Congratulations, Jasmine! Gig'em!

Can gaming technology actually silence chronic pain? Dr. Zina Trost at Texas A&M is proving it can. By using immersive Virtual Reality, Dr. Trost is helping spinal cord injury patients experience "virtual walking"—an illusion that tricks the brain into seeing the body as fully functional. This isn't just a digital distraction; it’s a neurological breakthrough that helps calm the "stabbing and burning" of neuropathic pain where traditional medicine often fails. From gamifying repetitive rehab to boosting brain chemistry (GABA levels), this research is turning "virtual" hope into very real relief. 👣✨

read more: https://artsci.tamu.edu/news/2026/02/how-zina-trost-is-using-virtual-reality-to-ease-pain-from-spinal-cord-injuries.html

How Zina Trost is Using Virtual Reality to Ease Pain from Spinal Cord Injuries Texas A&M Psychologist researches virtual reality to help people through spinal cord rehabilitation and recovery.

We want to give a huge congratulations to graduate students David Rompilla, Percy Gresham, and Sarah Peoples, recipients of the Doctoral Student Research, Travel, and Professional Development Award! Their cutting-edge research is making a significant impact and it is being recognized!

Percy Gresham is taking research titled, “Should a Husband Help Do Chores? A Cross-Cultural Investigation into Young Adults’ Gendered Assumptions about Household Labor,” to the SPSP 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago! This work, which analyzed over 3,000 responses from young adults in the US and Nigeria, shows that factors like work status and having children influence how young people reason about the division of household labor. We can't wait to see the next steps in understanding future divisions of housework and childcare.

David Rompilla is exploring the fascinating link between emotion regulation and movement! The research titled, “Emotion Regulation as Action: How Reappraisal and Acceptance Shape Cognition,” finds that strategies like reappraisal (thinking positively) and acceptance (remaining mindful) leave distinct imprints on our movements—affecting action readiness and speed. David will present this project at the 2026 Society for Affective Science Conference in Pittsburgh, bridging affective and motor neuroscience!

Sarah Peoples is building a basic science foundation for understanding effective parenting! This bio-behavioral research examines how parents' real-time verbal and nonverbal behaviors predict parent-child brain synchrony, a key index of attachment quality. By identifying shared and unique neural and behavioral mechanisms in mothers and fathers, Sarah's work will help inform policies and practices that support diverse family systems.

Three outstanding scholars, three groundbreaking projects!

The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences is proud to highlight the groundbreaking research of Assistant Professor Dr. Ian Hughes, who, alongside Dr. Andrea Bazzoli, recently published a study in the prestigious Journal of Business and Psychology that reshapes the understanding of financial stress.

Moving beyond traditional static measures, this research employed a dynamic, longitudinal design, tracking 324 U.S. workers over nine weeks to gather nearly 3,000 observations. Crucially, the study identifies the cognitive burden of debt management, showing that juggling more than four debt sources is a major predictor of strain. This research holds profound implications for organizational psychology and financial wellness interventions, suggesting that strategies focusing on small, strategic financial changes and reducing the complexity of obligations can be far more effective than previously assumed, thereby enhancing overall employee well-being and productivity.

The Texas A&M University College of Arts and Sciences has written a story about this research that you can read here: https://artsci.tamu.edu/research/updates/money-comes-money-goes-does-stress-follow-suit.html

Aggies across Texas A&M University are thundering forward with research aimed at improving the lives of people suffering from alzheimers and dementia, and PBSI's own doctors Tang and Bernard have been on the forefront of vital aspects concerning this research.

Dr. Tang has been focusing on older adults who are most at risk of showing signs of these diseases. Dr. Bernard has been researching brain aging and ways of improving the quality of life for people who are at risk of dementia.

Texas A&M University's stellar Marketing & Communications department has written an in-depth article about all the research being done in tandem across A&M.
"Armed with $27 million in funding and a cross-disciplinary approach, Texas A&M College of Arts and Sciences scientists are uncovering how biology, behavior and the environment intertwine in the fight against dementia."- Kevin Matyi, Texas A&M College of Arts and Sciences

You can read the full article here: https://artsci.tamu.edu/news/2025/11/inside-the-race-to-understand-alzheimers.html

We want to give a huge department shoutout as we say farewell to Dr. Arnold LeUnes, who will be retiring after 60 years of dedicated service and instruction here at Texas A&M University!

We will be having a send off for Dr. LeUnes Wednesday, Nov. 11th at 3:15 PM where all faculty and staff may attend. We also have created a Kudoboard where anyone with this code: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/hG5NitS5 can share pictures and memories you may have with Dr. LeUnes. Gig'Em!

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Suzanne Bell 💡

We are pleased to spotlight Dr. Suzanne Bell, a graduate of our Industrial-Organizational Psychology program who now leads the Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Dr. Bell’s research focuses on how astronaut crews maintain well-being, effective communication, and high performance during long-duration space missions, including the Artemis lunar program and future Mars exploration.

Her work examines how isolation, limited contact with Earth, and high-stakes collaborative tasks shape team dynamics, and she develops evidence-based training and support systems to help crews adapt and thrive. These insights also translate to high-demand environments here on Earth, strengthening teamwork in settings such as healthcare, military operations, and other remote or high-intensity work contexts.

We are proud to recognize Dr. Bell’s leadership and the meaningful impact her work continues to have in advancing psychological science.

Read more about her work: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2025/10/space-exploration-nasa-suzanne-bell.html

Learn more about our Industrial-Organizational Psychology alumni: https://artsci.tamu.edu/psychological-brain-sciences/academics/graduate/phd-program/training-areas/industrial-organizational-psychology/industrial-organizational-psychology-alumni.html