I study how we think about pain, and how those thoughts shape what we feel.
I’m an undergraduate at Duke Kunshan University and Duke University, exploring pain cognition, emotion, and decision-making. I’m interested in research that helps us understand people’s experiences and care for them more thoughtfully.
How do thoughts change our experience of pain? How can we study these processes as they unfold in everyday life?
HONORS THESIS · AUG 2025–PRESENT
Does the order of our questions change how we judge pain?
My honors thesis examines question order effects in pain catastrophizing, acceptance, anxiety, vigilance, and self-efficacy. I developed a protocol combining cold-pressor pain induction, EEG, and paired-question tasks in E-Prime and PsychoPy.
The online component includes approximately 100 participants. EEG data collection is ongoing, with analyses comparing quantum and Bayesian decision models.
Independent project lead Duke Kunshan University $1,500 research funding
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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW · JAN 2026–PRESENT
Understanding pain-related thinking in everyday life
I lead a seven-member team reviewing intensive longitudinal approaches to pain catastrophizing, including ecological momentary assessment and daily diaries. My work spans approximately 5,000 records, data extraction, preregistration, evidence synthesis, and manuscript preparation.
Titarova, A., Knettel, B., Peela, S., Paredes Montero, A., Iqbal, H., Shrishti, S., & Blackwood, B. Intensive longitudinal assessment of pain catastrophizing: A systematic review.In preparation
Titarova, A., & Wang, S. Question order effects in pain-related judgments: A behavioral and EEG study.In preparation
Gray, C., Lam, K., He, W., Gu, C., Nisa, C., Titarova, A., Li, J., & Salm, M. Comparative clinical, economic, and environmental impacts of acupuncture, psychotherapy, and antidepressant treatment for postpartum depression.In preparation
Through peer support, teaching, and advocacy, I work to make knowledge and support easier to reach.
STUDENT LEADERS BOARD · 2026–PRESENT
Making menstrual health support part of everyday campus life
I led DKU’s first approved initiative providing free emergency menstrual products on campus, bringing student feedback into conversations about access, well-being, and institutional support.
As a resident assistant, peer mentor, and trained peer responder, I support students through adjustment, stress, and everyday challenges.
With IDD Empower and a residential rehabilitation center, I adapt activities and communication for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Mental Health First Aid training · Psychology Club leadership · 7 Cups Active Listener internship
TEACHING & MENTORSHIP
Making ideas accessible.
I teach medical English to Chinese clinicians, tutor behavioral science, and mentor young neuroscience researchers.
My teaching also includes film-based psychology classes for middle-school students and classroom work in Tongren.
Medical English Program · Science Mentorship Institute · NeuroCinema · Behavioral Science 101
MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP · 2026
Supporting students under pressure.
I’m developing a research-informed toolkit to help teachers recognize psychological distress among Chinese high-school students preparing for the national college examination and connect them with appropriate support.
I also serve as an associate editor and peer reviewer for Impulse and the Journal of Young Investigators, reviewing undergraduate neuroscience and psychology research.
I enjoy paper books, traveling, and volunteering. I’m drawn to the small things along the way: the details of an old building, a painting that makes me pause, a sky that almost doesn’t look real.
Learning languages is another way I stay curious. I speak Russian, English, and Serbian, and I’m learning Mandarin.
