SOE Alumni Talk with Jessica Unick

Talk Title: "From Pitt to Today: A Journey in Behavioral Health Research"

Date/Time: Friday, October 23, 2026 from 11:40 a.m. - 12:40 p.m.

Location: Physical Activity Research Center (PARC) Conference Room

Address: 32 Oak Hill Court, Pittsburgh, PA 15261

All are welcome to attend. The event is open to the full University of Pittsburgh community.

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About the Speaker

Dr. Jessica Unick (PhD '09) a Professor (Research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School in Providence, RI. Since joining Brown in 2011, she has established a research program focused on developing and evaluating programs aimed at improving long term health outcomes through lifestyle change. Specifically, these behavioral programs focus on weight management, promoting physical activity, and understanding how exercise and eating behaviors interact in everyday life. Her research has been supported primarily through the National Institutes of Health, where she has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on numerous grants. Her work has been published in leading journals in the fields of obesity, behavioral medicine, and health psychology, and she has contributed to multi site collaborations with institutions across the United States. She also serves on editorial boards and scientific advisory groups within her discipline. Dr. Unick is passionate about developing accessible, evidence based programs that help people achieve their health goals. She continues to focus on remote and technology supported intervention approaches, personalized treatment strategies, and real world assessments of health behaviors. Equally meaningful to Dr. Unick is her commitment to mentorship and training. She is dedicated to supporting emerging researchers, working closely with undergraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty to help them gain experience, develop their research interests, and grow as independent investigators. She views mentorship as a way to give back to the field that shaped her own career.