Megan E. Renna, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at The Ohio State University and a member of the Clinical Psychology graduate program faculty. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2019 and completed her clinical internship at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Renna then completed a T32 postdoctoral fellowship in psychoneuroimmunology at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research. Her research examines how emotion regulation and negative emotionality enhance risk for biological dysfunction (e.g., inflammation, cardiometabolic risk) and chronic illness among healthy adults and cancer survivors. She is also interested in intervention research with a specific emphasis on reducing physical and psychological distress through evidence-based approaches. 

Awards, Honors and Recognition

2024: ‘Up & Coming Researcher’ Award, Society for Behavioral Medicine Optimization of Behavioral and Biobehavioral Interventions 
2024: Outstanding Junior Faculty Award, University of Southern Mississippi

Select Publications

Renna, M. E., Madison, A. A., Peng, J., Rosie Shrout, M., Lustberg, M., Ramaswamy, B., ... & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (2023). Worry and mindfulness differentially impact symptom burden following treatment among breast cancer survivors: findings from a randomized crossover trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 57(10), 888-898. DOI.

Renna, M. E. (2021). A review and novel theoretical model of how negative emotions influence inflammation: The critical role of emotion regulation. Brain, behavior, & immunity-health, 18, 100397. DOI.

Renna, M. E., O'Toole, M. S., Spaeth, P. E., Lekander, M., & Mennin, D. S. (2018). The association between anxiety, traumatic stress, and obsessive–compulsive disorders and chronic inflammation: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Depression and anxiety, 35(11), 1081-1094. DOI.