Eva Pila, PhD
Education
- PhD (Toronto)
- MSc (Toronto)
- BSc (McMaster)
Graduate Program Supervision
Research In Profile
As an assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology's Psychologial Basis field, Eva Pila conducts research and trains graduate students in the Body Image & Health Lab. The objectives of her research are to (1) identify and target psychosocial and psychophysiological processes related to body image and physical activity experiences in the lab and in daily life, and (2) develop and test inclusive and equitable psychosocial interventions that are responsive to the unique needs of diverse bodied individuals. This research combines lab-based experimental approaches with intensive longitudinal observational work, and community- based naturalistic approaches to advance fundamental knowledge and practical applications of body-related experiences and psychosocial and mental health outcomes. Professor Pila’s research focuses on community populations across the lifespan, athletes, and clinical populations, including individuals with eating disorders, mood disorders, and breast cancer. She is also an Editorial Board Member for Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Body Image: An International Journal of Research, and Sex Roles.
Featured Publications and Projects
Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals
- Sick, K., Sabiston, C.M., Maharaj, A., Pila, E. (2022). Body image and disordered eating prevention programs in girls’ sport: A partner-driven and stakeholder-informed scoping review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 61, 102215.
- Wood, M. & Pila, E. (2022). Investigating the acute effects of fit-normative and weight-inclusive Instagram images on women’s exercise motivations. Body Image, 41, 460-471.
- Bailey, J.A., Huellemann, K.L., Pila, E. (2022). “Dear past me, know that you are deserving of compassion and care”: Exploring the self-compassionate writings of adolescent girls managing weight stigmatising experiences in physical activity. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 11(3), 334–352.
- Pila, E., Gilchrist, J.D., Kowalski, K., Sabiston, C.M. (2021). Self-compassion and body-related self-conscious emotions: Examining within- and between-person variation among adolescent girls in sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 58, 102083.
- Pila, E., Sabiston, C., Mack, D., Wilson, P., Brunet, J., Kowlaksi, K., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2020). Fitness- and appearance-related self-conscious emotions and sport experiences: A prospective longitudinal investigation in adolescent girls. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 47, 101641.
- Pila, E., Murray, S.B., Le Grange, D., Sawyer, S., & Hughes, E. (2019). Reciprocal relations between dietary restraint and negative affect in adolescents receiving treatment for anorexia nervosa. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 128(2): 129-139.
- Pila, E., Sabiston, C., Castonguay, A., Arbour-Nicitopolous, K., & Taylor, V. (2018). Mental health consequences of weight cycling in the first year post-treatment for breast cancer. Psychology & Health, 33, 995-1013.
Visit for a comprehensive list of publications.
Current Grants and Research Projects
- Pila, E., Sabiston, C.M., Calogero, R., Doherty, A., Hallward, L. (2022-2025). Weight-inclusive physical activity for girls and women: Co-developing resources to change the physical activity landscape in Canada, SSHRC Partnership Development Grant.
- Pila, E., & Calogero, R. (2020-2022). Characterizing and Cultivating Compassionate Movement: A Novel Physical Activity Promotion Paradigm. SSHRC Insight Development Grant.
- Pila, E., & Sabiston, C.M. (2019-2020). Athletes Embodied: Developing and disseminating a sport-specific body image program. SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant.
Additional Information
Academic Appointments and Research Affiliations
Awards
- Franklin Henry Youth Scientist Award – Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (2018)
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018)
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018)
