Each year the Department of Psychology typically has 3 or 4 post-bac students participating in Pitt's Hot Metal Bridge Post-Bac Program. This program provides two semesters of funding and training for students from groups traditionally underrepresented in psychology, to bridge the gap between an undergraduate degree and graduate school.
To learn more about inclusion initiatives in the Psychology Department more broadly, see the Psychology Committee on Equity, Inclusion, and Community (PEIC) page.
For the 2026-2027 application cycle, the following faculty are potential mentors for HMB students. We encourage you to consider applying!
Topic: How do chronic social and structural stressors shape brain functioning and physical health among marginalized communities, and what factors protect against these effects? More Info
Topic: How people choose study strategies and how they can study more effectively? More Info
Topic: How does sleep health impact maternal health during and after pregnancy? More Info
Topic: What factors contribute to the development and recurrence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) during childhood and adolescence? More Info
Topic: How do members of majority and minority groups navigate intergroup contexts, and what can we do to improve intergroup relations? More Info
Topic: How does childhood trauma influence lifelong health, and what psychosocial interventions might mitigate health risk? More Info
Topic: Biological pathways that link socioeconomic status and stress to accelerated aging and risk for physical disease. More Info
Topic: How do contextual stressors shape the psychological and academic development of Latina/o adolescents, and what factors, shaped by intersectional identities, can buffer these effects across different cultural contexts? More info
Topic: Is depression caused by how sensitive we are to visible light from the sun and electric lighting in our environment? More Info
Topic: How can we aid people in making choices to reduce the energy consumption in their homes. More Info
Note - this topic is a new topic for me, so isn't reflected on my lab website.
Topic: How do diverse social experiences relate to cognitive adaptations among healthy adults? More Info