Dr. Mercurio teaches a range of psychology courses including, general psychology, social psychology, personality psychology, research methods, and violence in the family. In addition, she teaches specialty courses such as women and health and psychology of eating for Boston University’s Metropolitan College.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Mercurio runs the Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies Research Lab (HMHB). The HMHB lab conducts research dedicated to the promotion of physical health and well-being, especially among members of disadvantaged groups. Undergraduate members of the HMHB research group attend weekly lab meetings and are actively involved in designing studies, recruiting participants, collecting data, and analyzing results. Many student-researchers eventually conduct their own studies as part of senior thesis work or directed study coursework. Current and previous lab members have worked on a variety of project topics such as: body image and weight regulation tactics; the effect of appearance messages on exercise attitudes and exercise behaviors; academic stress and college student mental health; art appreciation as a therapy to promote happiness in older adults; and discrimination and well-being among LGBTQ individuals. Learn more about Active and Past Projects in the lab.

Dr. Mercurio’s research is primarily focused on understanding the individual and social factors that affect young women’s exercise choices, eating habits, and body image. See recent selected publications