Emma Toner

LIFE Fellow since 2023, University of Virginia

I am a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Virginia working with Bethany Teachman. My research leverages tools from complex systems science to understand and address psychological problems like anxiety and loneliness. I am particularly interested in using real-time data collection methods (e.g., ecological momentary assessment; passive physiological sensing) and computational modeling to examine how these problems develop and are sustained over time. My dissertation will use agent-based and differential equation modeling to formally evaluate hypotheses derived from psychological and social theories about how loneliness develops and becomes chronic. Through the LIFE Program, I am excited to gain essential training in advanced computational techniques for modeling dynamic interactions between factors at different levels of analysis that contribute to mental disorders.

Dissertation project:

Using computational modeling to formalize an integrated psychosocial theory of loneliness

Selected Publications

Petz, K., Toner, E. R., Rucker, M., Leventhal, E., Livermon, S., Davidson, B., Boukhechba, M., Barnes, L., & Teachman, B. A. (2025). Examining state affective and cognitive outcomes following brief mobile phone-based training sessions to reduce anxious interpretations. Cognitive Therapy and Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-025-10623-z

Mintz, E. H., Toner, E. R., Skolnik, A. M., Pan, A., Frumkin, M. R., Baker, A. W., Simon, N. M., & Robinaugh, D. J. (2024). Ecological momentary assessment in prolonged grief research: Feasibility, acceptability, and measurement reactivity. Death Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2024.2433109

Wang, Z., Larrazabal, M. A., Rucker, M., Toner, E. R., Daniel, K. E., Kumar, S., Boukhechba, M., Teachman, B. A., & Barnes, L. E. (2023). Detecting social contexts from mobile sensing indicators in virtual interactions with socially anxious individuals. Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, 7(3), Article 134. https://doi.org/10.1145/3610916