Samuele Zilioli

Samuele Zilioli

Dr. Samuele Zilioli is a associate professor in the Department of Psychology and the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences at Wayne State University (WSU), Detroit. Before landing in the US, Dr. Zilioli completed his undergraduate and graduate training in Italy and Canada. In Italy, he received a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology from Catholic University of Sacred Heart. In Canada, he completed a Ph.D. in Cognitive and Neural Sciences from Simon Fraser University where he was the recipient of the Governor General's Gold Medal for achieving the highest academic standing upon graduation. He completed a postdoc in health psychology at Wayne State University.

Dr. Zilioli’s program of research focuses on the relationships between psychosocial stressors related to socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity, psychosocial resources, and glucocorticoid-related mechanisms, and the extent to which these biopsychological mechanisms serve as pathways through which stress affects other biological systems (e.g., immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic system) and physical health across the lifespan. His research has been funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and is currently funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Dr. Zilioli’s work has appeared in Psychological Science, Clinical Psychological Science, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Brain Behavior and Immunity, The Journals of Gerontology Series A, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, Psychosomatic Medicine, and Health Psychology. His academic achievements earned, among others, the WC Young Recent Graduate Award from the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, the Excellence in Health Psychology Research by an Early Career Professional Award from Division 38 (Health Psychology) of the American Psychological Association, and the Neal E. Miller New Investigator Award. Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research.

Research interest(s)/area of expertise

Broad areas: Social/health psychology, psychoneuroendocrinology, psychoneuroimmunology, psychosocial determinants of health

Research

In the Biopsychosocial Health Lab, we are interested in understanding the bidirectional relationship between psychosocial processes (e.g., stress and emotion) and endocrine function (e.g., glucocorticoid-related mechanisms), and the extent to which these endocrine mechanisms serve as a pathway through which stress affects other biological systems (e.g., immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic system) and physical health. We are particularly interested in the interplay between psychosocial and biological factors in the context of socioeconomic status and racial health disparities.

Education

• Ph.D. Cognitive and Neural Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 2014
• M.A. Developmental and Communication Psychology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart (Milan, Italy), 2009
• B.A. Psychological Sciences and Practice, Catholic University of Sacred Heart (Milan, Italy), 2006

Awards and grants

• 2022: Neal E. Miller New Investigator Award. Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research.

• 2021: Excellence in Health Psychology Research by an Early Career Professional Award. Society for Health Psychology, American Psychological Association (Division 38).

• 2016: Rising Star Award. Association for Psychological Science.

• 2015: WC Young Recent Graduate Award. Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology.

• 2015: Governor General’s Gold Medal. Simon Fraser University.

News mentions

• Sam Zilioli named a "Rising Star" by the Association for Psychological Science

Selected publications

• Schacter, H.L., Slatcher, R.B., Rodriguez-Stanley, J., Houpt, R., & Zilioli, S.(2022). Daily peer problems among adolescents: Investigating associations with asthma symptoms via sleep. Health Psychology
• Byrd D., Jiang Y., Zilioli S., Thorpe, R. J., & Whitfield, K. E. (2022) The interactive effects of education and social support on blood pressure in African Americans. The Journals of Gerontology Series A , 77, e98-e106
• Zilioli S., Gómez M. J., Jiang Y., & Rodriguez-Stanley J. (2022). Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Cardiometabolic Health: A Test of the John Henryism Hypothesis in African American Elders. The Journals of Gerontology Series A, 77, e56-e64
• Bierstetel, S., Jiang, Y., Slatcher, R. B., & Zilioli, S. (2022). Parent-Child Conflict and Physical Health Trajectories Among Youth with Asthma. Journal of Psychosomatic Research
• Jiang, Y., Zilioli, S., Balzarini, R. N., Zoppolat, G., & Slatcher, R. B. (2022). Education, Financial Stress, and Trajectory of Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Clinical Psychological Science
• Imami, L., Jiang, Y., Murdock, K. L., & Zilioli, S. (2022). Links between socioeconomic status, daily depressive affect, diurnal cortisol patterns, and all-cause mortality. Psychosomatic Medicine, 84, 29-39
• Sun, J., Jiang, Y., Wang, X., Zilioli, S., Chi, P., Chen, L., Xiao, J., & Lin, D. (2021) Cortisol Reactivity as a Mediator of Peer Victimization on Child Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: The Role of Gender Differences. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
• Rodriguez-Stanley, J., Zilioli, S., Carcone, A. I., Slatcher, R. B., & Ellis D. A. (2021). Naturalistically Observed Interpersonal Problems and Diabetes Management in Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes. Psychology & Health
• Jiang, Y., Boylan, J. M., & Zilioli, S. (2021). Effects of the Great Recession on Educational Disparities in Cardiometabolic Health. Annals of Behavioral Medicine
• Jiang, Y., Zilioli, S., Stowe, R. S., Rubinstein, R., Peek, M. K., & Cutchin, M. P. (2021). Perceived social support and latent herpesvirus reactivation: Testing main and stress-buffering effects in an ethnically diverse sample of adults. Psychosomatic Medicine, 83, 767-776
• Resztak, J. A., Farrell, A. K., Mair-Meijers, H. E., Alazizi, A., Wen, X., Wildman, D. E.., Zilioli, S., Slatcher, R. B., Pique-Regi, R., & Luca, F. (2021). Psychosocial experiences modulate asthma-associated genes through gene-environment interactions. Elife, 10, e63852
• Jiang, Y., Farrell, A. K., Tobin, E. T., Mair-Meijers, H., Wildman, D. E., Luca, F., Slatcher, R. B., & Zilioli, S. (2021). Socioeconomic status, financial stress, and glucocorticoid resistance among youth with asthma: Testing the moderation effects of maternal involvement and warmth. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 96, 92-99
• Joseph, N. T., Jiang, Y., & Zilioli, S. (2021). Momentary emotions and salivary cortisol: A systematic review and meta-analysis of ecological momentary assessment studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 125, 365-379
• Zilioli, S. & Jiang, Y. (2021). Endocrine and immunomodulatory effects of social isolation and loneliness across adulthood. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 128, 105194

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Citation index

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Courses taught by Samuele Zilioli

Fall Term 2023

• FPH7210 - Research Methods for Public Health Professionals
• PSY5020 - Honors Research in Psychology

Fall Term 2022

• FPH7210 - Research Methods for Public Health Professionals
• PSY5020 - Honors Research in Psychology