Natalie J. Shook

Ph.D.

Professor

Director, Biobehavioral Research Lab

She/Her/Hers

---

I am an experimental social psychologist. The goal of my research is to understand psychosocial factors that influence psychological and physical health, as well as social attitudes. I am particularly interested in negative cognitive processes that underlie depression, anxiety, and pain, and the extent to which mindfulness may improve these conditions. I also study psychological disease avoidance processes (e.g., disgust, germ aversion) and how they shape health, social, and political attitudes and behaviors. Finally, I am interested in mental and physical health disparities experienced by different racial/ethnic, age, sexual, and gender identity groups.

Visit the Shook Lab website.

Research/Scholarship Interests

• Mindfulness
• Mental health
• Healthy aging
• Pain
• Health disparities

Honors & Awards

• 2017: Faculty Award for Distinction in Mentoring of Undergraduates in Research
• 2017: Outstanding Service Award from the McNair Scholars Program
• 2015: Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Researcher Award

Selected Publications

View Dr. Shook’s full publication list on Google Scholar.

(* graduate student advisee; ** undergraduate student advisee)

Bernier Carney, K., *Carini, C., *Fricano Hensley, R., **Orphanos, O., & Shook, N. J. (accepted). Burnout before the bedside: Mental health and sources of prelicensure nursing students. Nurse Educator.

*Graziano, T., & Shook, N. J. (2025). An intersectional examination of anxiety and depression in sexual and gender minorities. Research in Nursing & Health.

*Reck, A. M., *Reiley, T., *Vanegas, S. O., Shook, N. J., Kinsey, S. G., & Casavant, S. (2025). Risks of cannabinoid exposure on birth outcomes: a systematic review. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

*Wilson, J., Strough, J., & Shook, N. J. (2025). Understanding age differences in well-being: Pathways from present time orientation to mindfulness and savoring the moment. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development.