Josie Bryan

Josie Bryan is a postdoctoral research associate, who studies adolescent development, mental health, and the role of digital contexts in shaping youth well-being. Bryan's research is driven by a commitment to understanding how the environments young people navigate—both online and offline—influence psychological health and how that knowledge can be translated into prevention and intervention efforts that support healthy development.

Bryan's interest in youth well-being began while working in pediatric healthcare, where she focused on the prevention of intentional injuries among children and adolescents. Through partnerships with healthcare providers, schools, and communities, she saw firsthand how social and environmental experiences shape youth health outcomes. Those experiences inspired Bryan to pursue a career in developmental research focused on identifying factors that promote resilience and reduce risk during adolescence.

A central focus of Bryan's research is mattering - the extent to which adolescents feel noticed, valued, and relied upon by others. She investigates how mattering develops across adolescence, how it intersects with youths' digital experiences and social relationships, and how it serves as a protective factor for mental health. To address these questions, Bryan uses advanced quantitative methods, including longitudinal and intensive longitudinal designs, multilevel modeling, and structural equation modeling, to examine developmental change and within-person processes over time.

At the University of Virginia, Bryan collaborates on interdisciplinary research examining digital technology and healthy youth development. Her long-term research agenda integrates developmental science, quantitative methodology, and prevention science to generate evidence that informs interventions, public policy, and digital environments that better support adolescent mental health.

Ph.D., University of Florida, 2026
MPH, Boise State University, 2022
B.S., University of Idaho, 2015