ABOUT ME:

I am a ‘Population Neuroscience of Aging’ T32 Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh in the College of Public Health. I previously trained as a postdoctoral scholar under the mentorship of Dr. David Almeida at Penn State University and completed my PhD at the University of Kentucky under the mentorship of Drs. Suzanne Segerstrom and Kate Leger. My program of research integrates longitudinal, mechanistic models of psychosocial, biological, immunological, and cognitive processes to explain accelerated aging in midlife and beyond. I am curious about why & how people age poorly in midlife when risk factors may still be modifiable. Specifically, I examine how psychological stress impacts accelerated aging, as well as cardiovascular and neurobiological factors that buffer or exacerbate this effect.

In graduate school, I developed a focused and theoretically driven program of research investigating psychological and immunological factors that contribute to aging via three main areas: 1) stress; 2) self-regulation; and 3) biological measurement. My work examined the long-term impact of stress and correlates of self-regulation on systemic inflammation and other biological markers.

Currently, my work aims to identify midlife aging trajectories across psychological, biological, and immunological systems that affect health and the rate of aging through older adulthood . Further, I aim to identify critical points in the lifespan for accelerated aging and establish modifiable, health protective factors that can be targeted by future preemptive interventions. Lastly, I hope to establish midlife as a sensitive period in adult development. My ultimate ambition is to be a tenure-track, NIH-funded researcher at an academic institution.

I invite you to take a look at my publications, my CV, or my OSF pre-registrations for a better idea of my current projects and interests. Feel free to get in touch with me to discuss potential collaborations or employment opportunities: elana.gloger@pitt.edu

@elanagloger.bsky.social • @elana_gloger • Google Scholar • ResearchGate • PubMED

I am passionate about academia being a place of inclusion, equity, and camaraderie. In 2020, I started a podcast called Dear Grad Student. I provided a space where all students could celebrate accomplishments, commiserate through the stress, call out racism, ableism, transphobia, etc., and support each other through grad school. Check out the podcast on Twitter and wherever you listen to podcasts.

You can learn more about the podcast on the About page and all episodes can be found on the Episodes page.