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Julie Hicks Patrick, PhD
Department of Psychology
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
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Healthy Aging Lab Members

Members of the Healthy Aging Lab at WVU engage in high-level scholarship, effective teaching and meaningful professional service. Career goals vary across students, although most become faculty members at the institutions of their choice. See the Lab Alumni section for information regarding the current activities of Healthy Aging Alumni. 

Doctoral Students in the Lab

Payton Radcliffe joined the WVU Healthy Aging Lab in Fall 2024.  Payton's research is primarily focused on family caregiving and its effects on relationships, emotional well-being, and physical health. Payton is planning on proposing a WVU Masters Thesis by Fall 2025.

Claire "Cassie" Heilman joined the lab in Fall 2024. Cassie's research is primarily focused on health disparities among rural individuals, bereavement and death anxiety. Cassie plans to propose a WVU Masters thesis by Fall 2025.

S. Alison Bolling, M.S. joined the WVU Healthy Aging Lab in Fall 2023. She earned her MS in Psychological Science at UNCW.  Alison's research is primarily focused on individual well-being in family caregiving dyads as well as the decision making process in becoming a family caregiver. Currently, Alison anticipates defending a WVU Master's thesis in Fall 2024.

Carly E. Pullen, M.A., M.S.,  After earning her M.A. in experimental psychology at Radford University, Carly joined the lab in Fall 2021. Her interests include functional disability, ageism, intergenerational relations, and family processes. She defended her M.S. thesis in 2023 and published her first paper from those data. She anticipates proposing her doctoral dissertation in Fall 2024. 


Julie Hicks Patrick, PhD leads the Healthy Aging Lab. Dr. Patrick earned her doctorate from The University of Akron (OH). Prior to joining the faculty at WVU, she held positions at the Myers Research Institute at Menorah Park in Beachwood (Ohio) and at the Center on Aging at Bradley University (Peoria, IL). She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, served on the Executive Committee of APA's Division 20 (Aging), and is the Editor of the International Journal of Aging and Human Development (Sage Publishing). She regularly reviews grant applications for the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Aging. She is the P.I. of the AGE-ADAR Scholars Program.