Mary S. Himmelstein

Curriculum Vitae

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENT

Institution:       Kent State University

Title:                  Assistant Professor (Beginning August 2019)

Department:     Psychological Sciences

EDUCATION 

Institution:       UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

Position:            Postdoctoral Fellow (Through July 2019)

Mentor:             Rebecca M. Puhl

Degree:             Ph.D., May 2016

Major:               Social Psychology / Intradisciplinary Health Psychology 

Mentor:           Diana T. Sanchez

Dissertation Title: Breaking Down Barriers: Re-conceptualizing Social Pain to Shift Attitudes Toward Professional Help-seeking in Men

Institution:        Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

Degree:              M.S., May 2014

Major:                Social Psychology / Intradisciplinary Health Psychology

Mentor:            Diana T. Sanchez 

Thesis Title: Masculinity, gender stereotypes and doctor preference.

Institution:          St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY

Degree:                M.A., October 2009

Major:                  General & Experimental Psychology

Thesis Title: Sex, gender identity, and aggression in self-report, peer-report and an online task: Does gender identity predict aggressiveness?

Institution:      La Salle University

Degree:             B.A., summa cum laude, May 2006

Major:               Psychology (3.86) and Art History (4.0)

Thesis Title:    Psychology, Eating behaviors in the female college population.

Thesis Title:    Art History, Understanding children’s drawings.

CONSULTING

2017-Present                      Clifford Beers Clinic, New Haven CT (syntax based statistical software training)

2019 (August - Present)    Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity (project management)

EXTERNAL FUNDING

2018, under review

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, K99/ R00 ($998,989.00)

Weight Stigma as a Barrier to Treatment Outcomes in Obesity

2017, funded

Weight Watchers, Inc  ($126,071)

Weight Stigma, Internalized Bias, and Coping Strategies in a National Weight Loss Sample                                              

Role Project Manager, Postdoctoral Fellow

2016, funded

Grant-in-Aid. Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues. ($2,000)

Weight-stigma at the intersections of race and gender

Role Principal Investigator

2016, semi-finalist

Q & pAy Grant Competition Society for Personality and Social Psychology

Weight-stigma at the intersections of race and gender

Role Principal Investigator

2014, funded

Grant-in-Aid. Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues. ($1,000)

Acceptable Harm: Is Benevolent Sexism Stressful?

Role Principal Investigator

INTERNAL FUNDING

2018, funded

National Postdoc Appreciation Week, University of Connecticut ($500)

 Award for Best Datablitz: At the Heart of Chronic Disease: Weight Discrimination Increases Risk for Cardiometabolic Disease

Role Principal Investigator

2018, funded

Postdoctoral seed Grant, 1st place ($2,000)

Up Against a Wall: Weight Stigma as a Barrier to Behavioral Weight Loss

Role Principal Investigator

2017, funded

Scholarship Facilitation Fund, University of Connecticut ($2,000)

Intersectionality in weight stigma

Role Co-Principal Investigator

2016, funded 

National Postdoc Appreciation Week, University of Connecticut ($2,000)

Award for Best Datablitz: A comparative analysis of weight stigma in SES matched men and women

Role Principal Investigator

2014, funded

Matched Research Grant. Psychology Department, Rutgers University ($1,000)

Acceptable harm: is benevolent sexism stressfull

Role Principal Investigator

2005, funded

Honors Research Grant. La Salle University ($500)

Eating behaviors in the female college population

Role Principal Investigator

2018

Outstanding abstract and travel award, Social-Personality Health Network

Top abstract in Research in Diverse Populations Section, The Obesity Society

2017

Top abstract in Research in Diverse Populations Section, The Obesity Society

2016

Social Psychology Research Excellence Award, Psychology Department, Rutgers University

Travel Award, Graduate School, New Brunswick, Rutgers University

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research, Graduate School, New Brunswick, Rutgers University

2015

Social Psychology Research Excellence Award, Psychology Department, Rutgers University

Teaching Excellence Award, Psychology Department, Rutgers University 

Travel Award, Graduate School, New Brunswick, Rutgers University

Graduate Student Travel Award, Society for Personality and Social Psychology

2014

Travel Award, Social Area, Psychology Department, Rutgers University

Travel Award, Psychology Department, Rutgers University

Departmental Service Award. Psychology Department, Rutgers University

2012

Travel Award, Graduate School, New Brunswick, Rutgers University

Teaching Assistantship (2012-2016), Psychology Department, Rutgers University

2011

Excellence Fellowship, Psychology Department, Rutgers University 

2004-2006

Lillian Beresneck Miller Memorial Scholarship for Art History, La Salle University

2002

Dottie Bell Memorial Scholarship

Prince William Public Library Volunteer Scholarship

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS  

*Denotes Shared First Authorship

+Denotes student or former student mentee

25. Puhl, R. M., Himmelstein, M. S. & Watson, R. (2019, in press). Weight Stigma in Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents: Implications for Mental Health and Substance Use.  Health Psychology.

24. Puhl, R. M., Himmelstein, M. S. & Watson, R. (2019, in press ). Weight‐based victimization among sexual and gender minority adolescents: Findings from a diverse national sample. Pediatric Obesity.  doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12514 (IF=3.98)

23. Himmelstein, M. S., & Puhl, R. M. (2018, in press).  Weight-based victimization from friends and family: implications for how adolescents cope with weight stigma. Pediatric Obesity, 14. Advance Online Publication. doi 10.1111/ijpo.12453 (IF=3.98)

21. Puhl, R. M. & Himmelstein, M. S. (2018). Weight Bias Internalization among Adolescents Seeking Weight Loss: Implications for Eating Behaviors and Parental Communication.  Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2271 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02271 (IF=2.089) 

20. Puhl, R. M. & Himmelstein, M. S. (2018). A word to the wise: Adolescent reactions to parental communication about weight. Childhood Obesity, 14, 291-301.  doi 10.1089/chi.2018.0047(IF=2.532)

19. Puhl, R. M. & Himmelstein, M. S. (2018). Adolescent preferences for weight terminology used by health care providers.Pediatric Obesity, 13, 533-540. doi 10.1111/ijpo.12275 (IF=3.98)

18. Himmelstein, M. S. & Puhl, R. M. (2018). Weight stigma in men: When, what and by whom? Obesity, 26, 968-976. doi 10.1002/oby.22162 (IF=4.042)

17. Puhl, R. M. & Himmelstein, M. S., & Quinn, D. M. (2018). Internalizing weight stigma: Prevalence and sociodemographic considerations in u.s. adults. Obesity, 26,  167-175,  doi 10.1002/oby.22029. (IF=4.042)

MANUSCRIPTS IN REVISION

*Denotes Co-First Author

+Denotes student or former student mentee

1.  Himmelstein, M. S.,  Puhl, R. M. & Quinn, D. M. (2019). Overlooked and understudied: Weight stigma and health consequences in men. Manuscript in revision

2. Pudney, E.+, Himmelstein, M. S., & Puhl, R. M. (2019).  Parent-child communication about weight: The effects of parental experiences of weight based victimization. Manuscript under review after revision

3. Himmelstein, M. S., Puhl, R. M., Pearl, R. L., Pinto, A., & Foster, G. D. (2019). Strategies for Coping with Weight Stigma among Adults in a Commercial Weight Loss Sample. Manuscript submitted for publication.

4. Himmelstein, M. S., Puhl, R. M., & Watson, R. (2019). Weight-Based Victimization and Poor Weight-Related Health in Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents. Manuscript submitted for publication.

5. Pearl, R. L., Himmelstein, M. S.,  Puhl, R. M., Wadden, T. W., Wojtanowski, A. C., & Foster, G. D. (2019). Weight Bias Internalization in Adults in a Commercial Weight Loss Sample: Prevalence and Correlates. Manuscript submitted for publication.

6. Pearl, R. L., Puhl, R. M., Himmelstein, M. S., & Foster, G. D. (2019). Stigma, Weight Management, and Health: Findings from a Commercial Weight Loss Sample. Manuscript submitted for publication.

7. Puhl, R. M., Himmelstein, M. S., Pearl, R. L. & Foster, G. D. (2019a). Weight Stigma as a Psychosocial Contributor to Obesity: Implications for Weight Management. Manuscript submitted for publication

8. Puhl, R. M., Himmelstein, M. S., Pearl, R. L. & Foster, G. D. (2019b). Weight Stigma Among Sexual Minority Adults: Findings from a Matched Sample Enrolled in a Commercial Weight Management Program. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Himmelstein, M. S. (2019, March). The weight of stigma: Health effects of experienced and internalized weight stigma. Invited Symposium in Movement Science, Sport, and Leisure Studies Department at Westfield State University, Westfield, MA

Himmelstein, M. S. (2019, March). Identity, Stress, and Coping Effects of Weight Stigma. Invited Talk, Stigma Summit. Brown Univesity, Providence, RI

Himmelstein, M. S. & Puhl, R. M. (2018, March). Getting to the heart of chronic disease: Weight-stigma, cardiometabolic risk profiles, and increased likelihood of cardiometabolic diagnoses. Paper presented at the 2018 Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Himmelstein, M. S. (2018, January). Weight Stigma: The effects of identity, stress and coping on eating and weight-related health. Symposium presentation for the Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, NY.

Himmelstein, M. S. (2017, December). Stigma, weight, & gender: The effects of identity, stress, and coping on health. Symposium presentation for the department of Psychology at University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC.

Himmelstein, M. S. (2017, November). Stigma, weight, & gender: The effects of identity, stress, and coping on health. Symposium presentation for the department of Psychology at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.

Himmelstein, M. S., Puhl, R. M., & Quinn, D. M.  (2017, October). Meet Me at the Crossroads: Weight Stigma at the  Intersections of Race and Gender. Paper presented at the 2017  Research in Diverse Populations Section meeting at the Obesity Week Convention in Washington, DC.

Himmelstein, M. S. (2017, September). Weight stigma in a healthcare context: Implications for clinical practice. Invited presentation to the Yale School of Nursing, West Haven, CT. 

Himmelstein, M. S., Puhl, R. M., & Quinn, D. M. (2017, March). Meet me at the crossroads: Weight-stigma at the intersections of race and gender. In Emily Panza (chair). Stigma as a pathway to obesity and negative health outcomes in underserved populations. Paper presented at the 2017 meeting of the Society for Behavioral Medicine in San Diego, California.

Himmelstein, M. S. (2016, October). Weighty burdens: Stigma-reduction strategies and self-perception in weight bias research. Social Psychology Brown Bag. University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. 

Himmelstein, M. S., Tomiyama, A. J. & Sanchez, D. T. (2015, March) Jumping on the stigma bandwagon:  The importance of bystander action in the perpetuation of weight stigma. In Jamie Dunaev (Chair). Weight bias reduction: Strategies and interventions. Paper presented at the 2015 meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. 

Himmelstein, M. S., Incollingo Belsky, A. C., & Tomiyama, A. J. (2015, February). The effect of weight stigma on hpa reactivity: The importance of self-perceived weight.   Paper presented at the Social, Personality Health Network preconference at the 2015 SPSP Annual Convention in Long Beach, California. 

Himmelstein, M. S. (2014, November). Masculine confines: The role of masculinity in healthcare avoidance, gendered doctor preference and symptom reporting.   Paper presented Social-Health Area Colloquium, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. 

Himmelstein, M. S. & Sanchez, D. T. (2014, February). Hidden costs of masculinity: Doctor preference and symptom reporting.  Paper presented at the Social, Personality Health Network preconference at the 15th annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Austin, TX.

Sanchez, D. T., Himmelstein, M. S., & Garcia, J. A. (2012, June). Confronting as coping. An autonomy perspective on confronting discrimination.  Paper presented at the Biennial meeting of the Society for the Psychology Study of Social Issues, Charlotte, NC.

Tramel, M. S., Field, E., Collins, L.H. (2006, August). What they need to know in a nutshell: Educating colleagues, research assistants, and students about online data collection issues. In Lynn Collins (Chair) Online clinical research-advantages, challenges, and ethical issues. Symposium conducted at the 114th meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA. 

+Denotes undergraduate mentee 

Himmelstein, M. S. & Puhl, R. M., (2018, November). Obesity and Weight-Related Health as a Function of Discrimination in Underserved Populations. Poster  to be presented at the Obesity Week Convention, joint conference of The Obesity Society and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Week, Nashville, TN. 

Himmelstein, M. S., Puhl, R. M., & Quinn, D. M. (2018, March). Overlooked and Understudied: Weight Stigma Predicts Poor Health in Men. Poster presented at the 2017 SPSP Annual Convention in Atlanta, GA. 

Himmelstein, M. S., Puhl, R. M., & Quinn, D. M. (2017, October). Overlooked and Understudied: Weight Stigma Predicts Poor Health in Men. Poster presented at the 2017 Obesity Week Convention in Washington, DC.

Himmelstein, M. S., Puhl, R. M., & Quinn, D. M.  (2017, October). Meet Me at the Crossroads: Weight Stigma at the  Intersections of Race and Gender. Poster presented at the 2017 Obesity Week Convention in Washington, DC.

Himmelstein, M. S. & Sanchez, D. T. (2017, January). It’s All for Sport: Masculinity Exacerbates Sports-Related Injury and Inhibits Injury among Male but Not Female Division I Athletes. Poster presented at 2017 SPSP Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas. 

Amato, K. +, DiFiore, D. +, Kramer, B. L., Himmelstein, M. S., & Springer, K. W. (2015, April).  The effect of masculinity threats on decision making. Poster presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium for the Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates, Rutgers University.

Cabeza-Pimentel, A. +, Kadiyala, B. +, Himmelstein, M. S., Kramer, B. L., & Springer, K. W. (2015, April) Baseline task effectivity according to self-reported stress reports.  Poster presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium for the Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates, Rutgers University.

Lebidine, K. +, Himmelstein, M. S., Kramer, B. L., & Springer, K. W. (2015, April). Stress responses to masculinity threat.  Poster presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium for the Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates, Rutgers University. 

Springer, K. W., Kramer, B. K., Himmelstein, M. S. (2015, April) Identifying the physiological mechanisms underlying masculinity threats.  Poster presented at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University. 

Stavrakis, E. +, Himmelstein, M. S., & Sanchez, D. T. (2015, April). Coping style as a moderator of the stigma-weight relationship.  Poster presented at the Psychology Honors Poster Session, Rutgers University. 

Himmelstein, M. S., Incollingo Belsky, A. C. +, & Tomiyama, A. J. (2015, March). The effect of weight stigma on hpa reactivity: The importance of self-perceived weight.  Poster presented at the 73rd annual scientific meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.  Savannah, Georgia. 

Himmelstein, M. S. & Sanchez, D. T. (2015, February). He chose poorly: The influence of masculinity on male physician preference and symptom underreporting. Poster presented at 2015 SPSP Annual Convention in Long Beach, California. 

Kroeper, K.M., Sanchez, D.T., & Himmelstein, M.S., (2015, February). Confronters as crusaders: Perpetrator status moderates perceptions of non-target confronters of sexual minority prejudice. Poster presented at the SPSP Annual Convention, Long Beach, CA.

Kroeper, K.M., Sanchez, D.T., & Himmelstein, M. S. (2014, June). Meta-perceptions of confronters: "Won't confronting prejudice make me look bad?" Poster presented at the SPSSI Biennial Conference, Portland, OR.

Callahan, L. C. +, Incollingo Belsky, A. C. +, Himmelstein, M. S., & Tomiyama, A. J. (2014, May). Weighing heavily on your mind: Weight stigma causes psychological stress. Poster presented at Obesity Stigma: Psychological, Social, and Medical Causes and Consequences, Los Angeles, CA. 

Himmelstein, M. S., & Sanchez, D. T. (2014, May) Hidden health costs of masculinity: Gender stereotypes, doctor preferences and symptom disclosure. Poster presented at the 26th annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA.

Himmelstein, M. S. & Tomiyama, A. J. (2014, February).  Allergic to fat: Precursors to antifat attitudes, stereotyping and stigmatization of the  obese.  Poster presented at the 15th annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Austin, TX.

Tomiyama, A. J., Incollingo Belsky, A. C. +, Himmelstein, M. S., Mann, T. (2014, February). Diminish the self, expand the waist: how efforts to change overeating through stigma backfire. Poster presented at The 15th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Austin, TX.

Himmelstein, M. S., & Tomiyama, A. J. (2013, November). A picture is worth a thousand perceptions: Stereotype content of obese individuals. Poster presented at The Obesity Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting, Obesity Week 2013, Atlanta, GA.

Himmelstein, M. S., & Sanchez, D. T. (2013, January) Traditional gender role attitudes may undermine men’s health . Poster presented at the Annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA. 

Himmelstein, M. S., & Sanchez, D. T. (2012, September) Traditional gender role attitudes may undermine men’s health . Poster presented at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Fall Poster Session, New Brunswick, NJ. 

Himmelstein, M. S., & Sanchez, D. T. (2012, June) Traditional gender role attitudes may undermine men’s Health. Poster presented at the Biennial meeting of the Society for the Psychology Study of Social Issues, Charlotte, NC.

Kroeper, K. +, Sanchez, D. T., & Himmelstein, M. S. (2012, June). The role of precarious manhood in confrontations of sexual prejudice. Poster presented at the Biennial meeting of the Society for the Psychology Study of Social Issues, Charlotte, NC.

Kroeper, K. +, Sanchez, D. T., & Himmelstein, M. S. (2013, May). “He’ll think I’m gay!” Masculinity-related barriers preventing confrontation of sexual prejudice.  Poster presented at the 25th annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, DC.

Miron-Shatz, T., Hanoch, Y., & Himmelstein, M. S. (2009, June). Understanding of pregnancy-related risk. Poster presented at the 5th International Shared Decision Making Conference, Boston, MA. 

Collins, L. H., & Tramel, M. S. (2006, August). Does socialization contribute to sex differences in patterns of psychopathology? Poster presented at the 114th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA 

Tramel, M. S. (2006, April). Eating behaviors in the female college population. Poster presented at La Salle University Research Poster Day, Philadelphia, PA. 

SERVICE