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HEALTH PROMOTION
& RESEARCH LABORATORY
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Standing (l-r):
Neal Doran, Emily Conrad, Sarah Altman, Kristin Schneider, Dennis McChargue,
Joe VanderVeen, Karen Quintana, Natalie Ritchie, Tim McNeil
Seated (l-r): Katherine Bailey, Andrea Kozak, Bonnie Spring, Malaina
Smith
Our research concerns the identification of biobehavioral mechanisms that predispose toward and maintain unhealthy behavioral practices. The aim is to understand the "hooks" that maintain unhealthy behaviors sufficiently well to be able to intervene to facilitate more healthful lifestyle behaviors. Our main target populations are cigarette smokers and overeaters. Our research approach begins with basic mechanism-oriented studies that aim to characterize the psycho-biological substrates that underpin an unhealthy behavior. Then we proceed to clinical trials in which we intervene upon the substrate, test the consequences for healthy behavior change, and examine whether treatment process data bear out our understanding of the mechanisms that mediate behavior change.
In the area of eating behavior, we have an ongoing
study examining the behavioral and biological characteristics of overweight
women who report that they crave carbohydrates. We are also studying individual
differences between people who report food or drug cravings in response
to dysphoric moods, as compared to those who experience appetitive cravings
associated with more positive moods.
The research group consists of graduate
students who are working towards the doctoral degree in clinical psychology,
post-doctoral associates, research faculty members, and research staff.
In addition, undergraduate students work on our projects in different capacities
in order to acquire hands-on exposure to research and clinical methods.
The undergraduate training experience gives students an opportunity to
explore the field of clinical psychology in order to make decisions about
graduate education and enhance their eligibility for professional training.
During the course of training, most graduate students in the laboratory
complete three programmatically related empirical studies, which they present
at professional conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals.
One study may involve secondary data analysis of a pre-existing laboratory
data base. The second and third are usually a correlational and an
experimental study. Graduate students work collaboratively, and under
the close supervision of post-doctoral and faculty mentors. They
are financially supported via fellowships, research assistantships and
teaching assistantships. Many advanced graduate students receive
their own grants as NRSA training awards from NIH National Institutes of
Drug Abuse or as dissertation research grants.
Post-doctoral research associates work as project coordinators for ongoing research studies. Their research responsibilities include sufficient supervised diagnostic and treatment activity to meet post-doctoral clinical licensure requirements. Research associates and graduate students work together closely, and participate in weekly seminars on diagnostics, therapy, and research methodology that supplement the graduate curriculum. Some post-doctoral research associates become principal investigators of their own grants. They continue to affiliate with the laboratory as research faculty and remain active in the training environment.
