2026 Howard Leventhal Scholars Announced

Congratulations to Rutgers doctoral students Michelle Hiner and Siyan Meng, who were awarded the Howard Leventhal Scholarship for Trainees. Each year, the scholarship selection committee selects two outstanding students to receive funding to support independent research and help launch their investigative careers.

Michelle Hiner, M.S., a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychology and a member of the Emotion and Psychopathology (EmP) Lab at Rutgers, is examining ways to improve the clinical assessment of non-suicidal self-injury. Her project, “Assessing and Understanding the Somatic Markers of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Development of a Clinical Interview and Ecological Momentary Assessment Protocol,” seeks to better capture the bodily sensations that may precede, accompany, and follow self-injurious urges and behaviors—signals that are often underrepresented in current assessment tools. Hiner’s work aims to support assessment practices that enhance clinician confidence and patient engagement in care.

Siyan Meng, M.A., a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health, is investigating how adult cigarette smokers perceive FDA-authorized e-cigarettes and related marketing messages. Her project, “A Qualitative Study of FDA-authorized E-Cigarettes: Perceptions of Use Intentions and Evaluation of Marketing Messages,” uses focus groups to explore how smokers understand FDA authorization, interpret marketing claims, and evaluate the perceived benefits and barriers of using these products for smoking cessation or harm reduction. Meng’s research seeks to inform future health communication strategies and regulatory efforts related to novel tobacco products.

The Howard Leventhal Scholars will share the progress of their research through a presentation to Institute faculty and staff after the course of a year.

As a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Rutgers Board of Governors Professor in Health Psychology, Dr. Howard Leventhal’s forward-thinking research furthered health psychology research on the perception and management of chronic illnesses. His NIH Mind-Body Center, which had a long history of supporting student development, examined how cognitive-affective factors affect communication among patients, practitioners and families. At Rutgers Institute for Health (IFH), he spearheaded efforts to develop studies on behavioral health in minority populations.