Dr. Unick is an Associate Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Brown Alpert Medical School and The Miriam Hospital's Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center. She earned her PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Pittsburgh and completed a 2-year NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular behavioral medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Broadly, Dr. Unick's research focuses on: 1) understanding how physical activity influences body weight, independent of energy expenditure (e.g., via appetite and psychological mechanisms), and 2) adapting behavioral weight loss interventions for early non-responders. Dr. Unick has been awarded grants from the NIH and other organizations to conduct research in these areas.
| Unick, Jessica L., Pellegrini, Christine A., Dunsiger, Shira I., Demos, Kathryn E., Thomas, J. Graham, Bond, Dale S., Webster, Jennifer, Wing, Rena R. "DIAL now protocol: A randomized trial examining the provision of phone coaching to those with sub-optimal early weight loss during an Internet weight management program." Contemporary Clinical Trials, vol. 90, 2020, pp. 105953. |
| Wing RR, Becofsky K, Wing EJ, McCaffery J, Boudreau M, Evans EW, Unick J. "Behavioral and Cardiovascular Effects of a Behavioral Weight Loss Program for People Living with HIV." AIDS and Behavior, 2019. |
| Bond, Dale S., Raynor, Hollie A., Thomas, J. Graham, Unick, Jessica, Webster, Jennifer, Ryder, Beth, Vithiananthan, Sivamainthan. "Greater Adherence to Recommended Morning Physical Activity is Associated With Greater Total Intervention-Related Physical Activity Changes in Bariatric Surgery Patients." Journal of Physical Activity and Health, vol. 14, no. 6, 2017, pp. 492-498. |
| Unick, Jessica L., Pellegrini, Christine A., Demos, Kathryn E., Dorfman, Leah. "Initial Weight Loss Response as an Indicator for Providing Early Rescue Efforts to Improve Long-term Treatment Outcomes." Current Diabetes Reports, vol. 17, no. 9, 2017. |
| Bond DS, Thomas JG, Vithiananthan S, Unick J, Webster J, Roye GD, Ryder BA, Sax HC. "Intervention-related increases in preoperative physical activity are maintained 6-months after Bariatric surgery: results from the bari-active trial." International Journal of Obesity, vol. 41, no. 3, 2017, pp. 467-470. |
| Unick, Jessica L., Lang, Wei, Tate, Deborah F., Bond, Dale S., Espeland, Mark A., Wing, Rena R. "Objective Estimates of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time among Young Adults." Journal of Obesity, vol. 2017, 2017, pp. 1-11. |
| Unick, Jessica L., Gaussoin, Sarah A., Hill, James O., Jakicic, John M., Bond, Dale S., Hellgren, Margareta, Johnson, Karen C., Peters, Anne L., Coday, Mace, Kitzman, Dalane W., Bossart, Suzette, Wing, Rena R., None, None. "Objectively Assessed Physical Activity and Weight Loss Maintenance among Individuals Enrolled in a Lifestyle Intervention." Obesity, vol. 25, no. 11, 2017, pp. 1903-1909. |
| Unick, Jessica L., None, None, Lang, Wei, Williams, Samantha E., Bond, Dale S., Egan, Caitlin M., Espeland, Mark A., Wing, Rena R., Tate, Deborah F. "Objectively-assessed physical activity and weight change in young adults: a randomized controlled trial." International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 14, no. 1, 2017, pp. 165. |
| Unick JL, Dorfman L, Leahey TM, Wing RR. "A preliminary investigation into whether early intervention can improve weight loss among those initially non-responsive to an internet-based behavioral program." J Behav Med, vol. 39, no. 2, 2016, pp. 254-61. |
| Lillis, Jason, Niemeier, Heather M., Thomas, J. Graham, Unick, Jessica, Ross, Kathryn M., Leahey, Tricia M., Kendra, Kathleen E., Dorfman, Leah, Wing, Rena R. "A randomized trial of an acceptance-based behavioral intervention for weight loss in people with high internal disinhibition." Obesity, vol. 24, no. 12, 2016, pp. 2509-2514. |
| Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) Study Group. "Association of Weight Loss Maintenance and Weight Regain on 4-Year Changes in CVD Risk Factors: the Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) Clinical Trial." Diabetes Care, vol. 39, no. 8, 2016, pp. 1345-55. |
| Bond DS, Graham Thomas J, Vithiananthan S, Webster J, Unick J, Ryder BA, Pohl D. "Changes in enjoyment, self-efficacy, and motivation during a randomized trial to promote habitual physical activity adoption in bariatric surgery patients." Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, vol. 12, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1072-9. |
| Unick JL, Gaussoin SA, Hill JO, Jakicic JM, Bond DS, Hellgren M, Johnson KC, Peters AL, Coday M, Kitzman DW, Bossart S, Wing RR. "Four-Year Physical Activity Levels among Intervention Participants with Type 2 Diabetes." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 48, no. 12, 2016, pp. 2437-2445. |
| Bond DS, Vithiananthan S, Thomas JG, Trautvetter J, Unick JL, Jakicic JM, Pohl D, Ryder BA, Roye GD, Sax HC, Wing RR. "Bari-Active: a randomized controlled trial of a preoperative intervention to increase physical activity in bariatric surgery patients." Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, vol. 11, no. 1, 2015, pp. 169-77. |
| Unick JL, O'Leary KC, Dorfman L, Thomas JG, Strohacker K, Wing RR. "Consistency in compensatory eating responses following acute exercise in inactive, overweight and obese women." British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 113, no. 7, 2015, pp. 1170-7. |
| Unick, Jessica L., Strohacker, Kelley, Papandonatos, George D., Williams, David, O’Leary, Kevin C., Dorfman, Leah, Becofsky, Katie, Wing, Rena R. "Examination of the Consistency in Affective Response to Acute Exercise in Overweight and Obese Women." JSEP, vol. 37, no. 5, 2015, pp. 534-46. |
| Unick JL, Leahey T, Kent K, Wing RR. "Examination of whether early weight loss predicts 1-year weight loss among those enrolled in an Internet-based weight loss program." International Journal of Obesity, vol. 39, no. 10, 2015, pp. 1558-60. |
| Bond, Dale S., Thomas, J. Graham, King, Wendy C., Vithiananthan, Sivamainthan, Trautvetter, Jennifer, Unick, Jessica L., Ryder, Beth A., Pohl, Dieter, Roye, G. Dean, Sax, Harry C., Wing, Rena R. "Exercise improves quality of life in bariatric surgery candidates: Results from theBari-Activetrial." Obesity, vol. 23, no. 3, 2015, pp. 536-542. |
| Unick JL, Neiberg RH, Hogan PE, Cheskin LJ, Dutton GR, Jeffery R, Nelson JA, Pi-Sunyer X, West DS, Wing RR, Look AHEAD Research Group. "Weight change in the first 2 months of a lifestyle intervention predicts weight changes 8 years later." Obesity, vol. 23, no. 7, 2015, pp. 1353-6. |
| Lillis J, Niemeier HM, Ross KM, Thomas JG, Leahey T, Unick J, Kendra KE, Wing RR. "Weight loss intervention for individuals with high internal disinhibition: design of the Acceptance Based Behavioral Intervention (ABBI) randomized controlled trial." BMC psychology, vol. 3, no. 1, 2015, pp. 17. |
| Leahey TM, Xu X, Unick JL, Wing RR. "A preliminary investigation of the role of self-control in behavioral weight loss treatment." Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, vol. 8, no. 2, 2014, pp. e149-53. |
| Unick JL, Hogan PE, Neiberg RH, Cheskin LJ, Dutton GR, Evans-Hudnall G, Jeffery R, Kitabchi AE, Nelson JA, Pi-Sunyer FX, West DS, Wing RR, Look AHEAD Research Group. "Evaluation of early weight loss thresholds for identifying nonresponders to an intensive lifestyle intervention." Obesity, vol. 22, no. 7, 2014, pp. 1608-16. |
| Peter I, Papandonatos GD, Belalcazar LM, Yang Y, Erar B, Jakicic JM, Unick JL, Balasubramanyam A, Lipkin EW, Delahanty LM, Wagenknecht LE, Wing RR, McCaffery JM, Huggins GS, Look AHEAD Research Group. "Genetic modifiers of cardiorespiratory fitness response to lifestyle intervention." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 46, no. 2, 2014, pp. 302-11. |
| Unick JL, Gaussoin S, Bahnson J, Crow R, Curtis J, Killean T, Regensteiner JG, Stewart KJ, Wing RR, Jakicic JM, The Look AHEAD Research Group. "Validity of Ratings of Perceived Exertion in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes." Journal of novel physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation, vol. 1, no. 1, 2014. |
| Bond, Dale S., Thomas, J. Graham, Unick, Jessica L., Raynor, Hollie A., Vithiananthan, Sivamainthan, Wing, Rena R. "Self-reported and objectively measured sedentary behavior in bariatric surgery candidates." Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, vol. 9, no. 1, 2013, pp. 123-128. |
| Unick JL, Beavers D, Bond DS, Clark JM, Jakicic JM, Kitabchi AE, Knowler WC, Wadden TA, Wagenknecht LE, Wing RR, Look AHEAD Research Group. "The Long-term Effectiveness of a Lifestyle Intervention in Severely Obese Individuals." The American Journal of Medicine, vol. 126, no. 3, 2013, pp. 236-42, 242.e1-2. |
| Unick JL, Michael JC, Jakicic JM. "Affective responses to exercise in overweight women: Initial insight and possible influence on energy intake." Psychology of Sport and Exercise, vol. 13, no. 5, 2012, pp. 528-532. |
| Unick JL, Bond DS, Jakicic JM, Vithiananthan S, Ryder BA, Roye GD, Pohl D, Trautvetter J, Wing RR. "Comparison of two objective monitors for assessing physical activity and sedentary behaviors in bariatric surgery patients." Obesity Surgery, vol. 22, no. 3, 2012, pp. 347-52. |
| Bond DS, Unick JL, Jakicic JM, Vithiananthan S, Trautvetter J, O'Leary KC, Wing RR. "Physical activity and quality of life in severely obese individuals seeking bariatric surgery or lifestyle intervention." Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, vol. 10, no. 1, 2012, pp. 86. |
| Unick JL, O'Leary KC, Bond DS, Wing RR. "Physical activity enhancement to a behavioral weight loss program for severely obese individuals: A preliminary investigation." ISRN Obesity, vol. 2012, 2012, pp. 1-4. |
| Unick JL, Beavers D, Jakicic JM, Kitabchi AE, Knowler WC, Wadden TA, Wing RR, Look AHEAD Research Group. "Effectiveness of lifestyle interventions for individuals with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes: results from the Look AHEAD trial." Diabetes Care, vol. 34, no. 10, 2011, pp. 2152-7. |
| Unick JL, Otto AD, Goodpaster BH, Helsel DL, Pellegrini CA, Jakicic JM. "Acute effect of walking on energy intake in overweight/obese women." Appetite, vol. 55, no. 3, 2010, pp. 413-9. |
| Unick JL, Jakicic JM, Marcus BH. "Contribution of behavior intervention components to 24-month weight loss." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 42, no. 4, 2010, pp. 745-53. |
| Bond, Dale S., Unick, Jessica L., Jakicic, John M., Vithiananthan, Sivamainthan, Pohl, Dieter, Roye, G. Dean, Ryder, Beth A., Sax, Harry C., Giovanni, Jeannine, Wing, Rena R. "Objective assessment of time spent being sedentary in bariatric surgery candidates." Obesity Surgery, vol. 21, no. 6, 2010, pp. 811-4. |
| Bond, Dale S., Jakicic, John M., Unick, Jessica L., Vithiananthan, Sivamainthan, Pohl, Dieter, Roye, G. Dean, Ryder, Beth A., Sax, Harry C., Wing, Rena R. "Pre- to postoperative physical activity changes in bariatric surgery patients: self report vs. objective measures." Obesity, vol. 18, no. 12, 2010, pp. 2395-7. |
| Nieman DC, Lasasso H, Austin MD, Pearce S, McInnis T, Unick J. "Validation of Cosmed's FitMate in measuring exercise metabolism." Research in sports medicine (Print), vol. 15, no. 1, 2007, pp. 67-75. |
| Unick JL, Utter AC, Schumm S, McInnis T. "Evaluation of leg-to-leg BIA in assessing body composition in high-school-aged males and females." Research in sports medicine (Print), vol. 14, no. 4, 2006, pp. 301-13. |
| Nieman DC, Austin MD, Benezra L, Pearce S, McInnis T, Unick J, Gross SJ. "Validation of Cosmed's FitMate in measuring oxygen consumption and estimating resting metabolic rate." Research in sports medicine (Print), vol. 14, no. 2, 2006, pp. 89-96. |
| Unick J, Kieffer HS, Cheesman W, Feeney A. "The acute effects of static and ballistic stretching on vertical jump performance in trained women." Journal of strength and conditioning research, vol. 19, no. 1, 2005, pp. 206-12. |
1 R01 DK117783-01 Unick (PI) 9/18/18 – 6/30/23
NIH (NIDDK)
Title: Phone coaching as a rescue strategy for early non-responders enrolled in an Internet-delivered weight loss program.
Role: Principal Investigator
1 R03 DK115978-01A1 Unick (PI) 9/1/18 – 8/31/20
NIH (NIDDK)
Title: Examination of the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of yoga as an intervention approach to improving long-term weight loss
Role: Principal Investigator
U54GM115677 Demos, Unick, Williams (MPIs) 5/30/18 – 5/19/19
Brown University's Advance-CTR Pilot Projects Program
Title: Memory Bias of Affective Responses to Physical Activity: A Novel Intervention Target for Increasing Physical Activity
Role: Principal Investigator
5 U01 HL127341 Wing (PI) 09/01/15 – 05/31/19
NIH (NHLBI)
Title: The Study of Novel Approaches for Weight Gain Prevention - Extension (SNAP-E)
Role: Co-Investigator
2 U01 DK056992 Wing (PI) 2/17/16 – 1/31/21
NIH (NIDDK)
Title: Action for Health in Diabetes Extension Study
Role: Co-Investigator
1 K01 DK100498 01A1 Unick (PI) 7/1/14 – 3/31/19
NIH (NIDDK)
Title: Exercise as a buffer against stress-induced eating
Role: Principal Investigator
1 R01 DK111232 Leahey (PI) 8/20/17 - 5/31/22
NIH (NIDDK)
Title: Peer Support for Weight Loss Maintenance
Role: Co-Investigator
1 R03 CA162965-01A1 Unick (PI) 05/2012 - 07/2014
NIH (NCI): $145,875
Title: Consistency in Individual Differences in Energy Intake Following Acute Exercise
Role: Principal Investigator
5 R01 DK087704 Wing (PI) 4/15/11 – 3/31/16 (NCE)
NIH (NIDDK)
Title: Acceptance based behavioral intervention for weight loss: A randomized trial
Role: Co-Investigator
5 U01 HL090864 Wing (PI) 8/18/09 – 5/31/16 (NCE)
NIH (NHLBI)
Title: Prevention of Weight Gain in Young Adults
Role: Co-Investigator
5 U01 DK056992 Wing (PI) 9/1/13 – 1/31/16
NIH (NIDDK)
Title: Action for Health in Diabetes Continuation (Look AHEAD)
Role: Co-Investigator
5 U01 DK056992 Wing (PI) 9/30/99 – 7/31/13
NIH (NIDDK)
Study of Health Outcomes of Weight Loss-SHOW Trial
Role: Co-Investigator
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | PhD | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2006 | MS | Appalachian State University |
| 2004 | BA | Messiah College |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, The Miriam Hospital, Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine | 2009-2011 | Providence, RI, USA |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Bond, Dale | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Research) |
| Lillis, Jason | Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Research) |
| Thomas, Graham | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Research) |
| Williams, David | Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Wing, Rena | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
