PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Sophia Choukas-Bradley
Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh; Clinical Psychologist

Sophia Choukas-Bradley is a researcher, lecturer, professor and psychologist renowned for her research on adolescent girls’ mental health.

She’s passionate about finding out why, when girls transition from childhood to adolescence, there is an increase in mental health concerns and a drop in self-esteem.

“I’ve dedicated my life to how can we help and alleviate some of these pressures that cause so much stress,” she says.

Choukas-Bradley earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she was the first student to win all of the department’s top research, teaching and citizenship awards. She’s also received six early-career researcher awards. In addition to her roles at Pitt, she is founder and director of the Teen and Young Adult (TAYA) Lab, which researches social-media use, gender and sexuality, body image and mental health.

Her first book, “Beyond the Looking Glass,” based on her research, is set to be published in 2027.