Sonya SooHoo, PhD

Dr. Sonya SooHoo currently teaches the Women’s Health and Wellness: Journey across the Lifespan course for graduate students in the Master of Health Science, Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy programs at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

Sonya enjoys blending research and professional practice. Her current research endeavors include analyzing data on the effects of social and physical stressors on long-term pain among older adults at the Institute of Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco; consulting with faculty members on their research projects at University of North Carolina Wilmington; and determining the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Weight Pressures in Sports measure among females athletes. As a health professional, Sonya extends theory and research into the field to help clients optimize their participation, joy, and performance from a holistic perspective.

Prior to joining the faculty at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, she worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System as a Research Health Sciences Specialist.

She is on the editorial board for the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology and a member of International Society of Sport Psychology. Her main research interests are body image, disordered eating, weight-related pressures in sport, physical activity, pain, and women’s health. She has collaborated with colleagues from a variety of disciplines (i.e., psychology, exercise and sports science, sociology, nursing, nutrition, health science) on more than 30 published health-related articles and book chapters.