Eva Pila, Western University

Research

Read how they describe their research on their Western University profile.

Latest papers

Self-compassion buffers associations between body-related threats and appearance-motivated physical activity behaviour in daily life.
Psychology of sport and exercise · 2026 · first author
Lifetime discrimination attributions and mental health in university students: a person-centered approach.
Journal of American college health : J of ACH · 2026 · senior author
We Thought You'd Never Ask: Insights From the Health of Elite Retired Australian Female Athletes Survey.
Journal of sport rehabilitation · 2026

All 44 publications

Latest funding

Women's body appearance and fitness tensions in modern exercise: A mixed-methods examination of experiences, psychological outcomes, and avenues of change
SSHRC · 2026 · Co-investigator
$74,258
Keeping girls in the game: Exploring multi-level factors shaping girls' sport participation and retention in Canada
SSHRC · 2026 · Co-investigator
$89,642
Centering racialized women: Reforming measurement in body image scholarship
SSHRC · 2026 · Principal investigator
$91,945

All 18 grants and awards

44 publications.

01

Self-compassion buffers associations between body-related threats and appearance-motivated physical activity behaviour in daily life.

Pila E, Sick K, Bailey JA

Psychology of sport and exercise2026First author

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103178 PMID: 42208713

02

Lifetime discrimination attributions and mental health in university students: a person-centered approach.

Sutton M, Bourke M, Pila E

Journal of American college health : J of ACH2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2026.2705286 PMID: 42531493

03

We Thought You'd Never Ask: Insights From the Health of Elite Retired Australian Female Athletes Survey.

Friedman DJ, Hughes D, Thornton JS, Saw R, Girdwood M, Wells KR, Bruder AM, Adler SJ, Pila E, Crossley KM

Journal of sport rehabilitation2026

DOI: 10.1123/jsr.2026-0031 PMID: 42248440

04

"The whole world opened up, there's no better word for it than euphoria": Experience of embodiment in trans*feminine individuals.

Stanley S, Pila E

Body image2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102085 PMID: 41936236

05

The Physical Self Comparison Scale (PSCS): A multidimensional measure of social comparison tendencies in adults.

Sick K, Prapavessis H, Pila E

Body image2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102124 PMID: 42229189

06

State muscularity thought salience and muscle-building behaviour among young adults in daily life.

Staffell Z, Lucibello K, Pila E

Body image2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102143 PMID: 42349005

07

"Embracing my queerness has actually been really healing for the way that I live in my body": An exploration of queer women's body image and physical activity.

Bailey JA, Pila E

Body image2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102073 PMID: 41793888

08

Weight-Inclusive Physical Activity: A Systematic Evaluation of Virtual Resources.

Sutton M, Stanley S, Doherty A, Driediger M, Calogero R, Sabiston CM, Meadows A, Maharaj A, Pila E

Journal of physical activity & health2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2024-0571 PMID: 39884291

09

Digest.

Gammage K, Adam M, Bird M, Blazo J, Crozier A, Ede A, Hirsch K, Lee S, Locke S, Pila E, Stork M, Wierts C

Journal of sport & exercise psychology2025

DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2025-0275 PMID: 40987439

10

Digest.

Gammage K, Bennett E, Bird M, Blazo J, Crozier A, Ede A, Hirsch K, Lee S, Leisterer S, Locke S, Pila E, Stork M

Journal of sport & exercise psychology2025

DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2025-0170 PMID: 40659331

Women's body appearance and fitness tensions in modern exercise: A mixed-methods examination of experiences, psychological outcomes, and avenues of change

Co-investigatorSSHRC2026Insight Development Grants

Principal investigators: Lucibello, Kristen

$74,258

Keeping girls in the game: Exploring multi-level factors shaping girls' sport participation and retention in Canada

Co-investigatorSSHRC2026Insight Development Grants

Principal investigators: Shepherd, Heather

$89,642

Centering racialized women: Reforming measurement in body image scholarship

Principal investigatorSSHRC2026Insight Development Grants

Principal investigators: Pila, Eva

$91,945

Beyond the Finish Line: Body image mechanisms for sport participation and performance

Co-investigatorSSHRC2025Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Sabiston, Catherine M.

$205,010

Partnerships in motion: Fostering active and healthy cities by exploring local and international partnerships for physical activity

Co-investigatorCIHR2024Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Thornton, Jane

Keywords: Co-Design; Collaboration; Implementation; Knowledge Translation; Partnership; Physical Activity; Planning; Policy

$19,981

Advancing a conceptual model of the "Experience of Embodied Movement" construct

Principal investigatorSSHRC2023Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Pila, Eva

Keywords: physical activity; gender equity; body image; embodiment

$46,677

Advancing a conceptual model of the "Experience of Embodied Movement" construct

Principal investigatorSSHRC2023Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Pila, Eva

Keywords: physical activity; gender equity; body image; embodiment

$107,144

Walkin' Wager: Applying behavioural economics in the examination and promotion of incentive-based physical activity app engagement

Co-investigatorSSHRC2022Partnership Development Grants

Principal investigators: Mitchell, Marc

Keywords: smartphone applications; digital engagement; well-being; physical activity; behavioural economics; financial incentives; deposit contracts

$136,420

Partnership for Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Participation, Access, and Quality Experiences in Youth Sport: Sport4All

Co-investigatorSSHRC2022Partnership Grants

Keywords: equity; diversity; inclusion; sport; girls and women; identity; quality participation; partnership; community-based participatory research

$416,603

Preventing diabetes in young pregnant Arab Muslim individuals through lifestyle modification using the Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (NELIP): A Call to Action.

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Op Gr: DPP&S - Prev. Self-Mgmt. YYA Racialized, SES, Ethnocult. Cmty T2D

Principal investigators: Mottola, Michelle F

Keywords: Arab; Diabetes Prevention; Exercise; Gestational Diabetes Mellitus; Intervention; Middle Eastern; Muslim; Nutrition; Obesity; Pregnancy

$843,784

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

School of Kinesiology
Family Medicine
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Human Kinetics
Cardiology
School of Public Health and Health Systems
Medicine
Other

Co-authors at Western University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Mark Speechley

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

2 shared papers, latest 2023

Jennifer Brunet

Human Kinetics

2 shared papers, latest 2022

Jane Thornton

Family Medicine

2 shared papers, latest 2023

Arlene Macdougall

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Scott Leatherdale

School of Public Health and Health Systems

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Molly Driediger

School of Kinesiology

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Margo Mountjoy

Family Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Marc Mitchell

School of Kinesiology

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Valerie Taylor

Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their SSHRC grant from 2026

Subject: Prospective PhD student Dear Professor Pila, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Self-compassion buffers associations between body-related threats and appearance-motivated physical activity behaviour in daily life." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your SSHRC-funded project "Centering racialized women: Reforming measurement in body image scholarship" (2026), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Eva Pila

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Self-compassion buffers associations between body-related threats and appearance-motivated physical activity behaviour in daily life.

Lifetime discrimination attributions and mental health in university students: a person-centered approach.

We Thought You'd Never Ask: Insights From the Health of Elite Retired Australian Female Athletes Survey.

"The whole world opened up, there's no better word for it than euphoria": Experience of embodiment in trans*feminine individuals.

The Physical Self Comparison Scale (PSCS): A multidimensional measure of social comparison tendencies in adults.

State muscularity thought salience and muscle-building behaviour among young adults in daily life.

"Embracing my queerness has actually been really healing for the way that I live in my body": An exploration of queer women's body image and physical activity.

Weight-Inclusive Physical Activity: A Systematic Evaluation of Virtual Resources.

Digest.

Digest.

Women's body appearance and fitness tensions in modern exercise: A mixed-methods examination of experiences, psychological outcomes, and avenues of change

Keeping girls in the game: Exploring multi-level factors shaping girls' sport participation and retention in Canada

Centering racialized women: Reforming measurement in body image scholarship

Beyond the Finish Line: Body image mechanisms for sport participation and performance

Partnerships in motion: Fostering active and healthy cities by exploring local and international partnerships for physical activity

Advancing a conceptual model of the "Experience of Embodied Movement" construct

Advancing a conceptual model of the "Experience of Embodied Movement" construct

Walkin' Wager: Applying behavioural economics in the examination and promotion of incentive-based physical activity app engagement

Partnership for Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Participation, Access, and Quality Experiences in Youth Sport: Sport4All

Preventing diabetes in young pregnant Arab Muslim individuals through lifestyle modification using the Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (NELIP): A Call to Action.

Frequent collaborators

Mark Speechley

Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos

Jennifer Brunet

Jane Thornton

Arlene Macdougall

Scott Leatherdale

Paul Dorian

Molly Driediger

Margo Mountjoy

Marc Mitchell

Sean Wharton

Valerie Taylor