Integrative Biological and Behavioral Sciences

Under this research interest area, NIMHD supports research on how human biological and behavioral mechanisms and pathways influence resilience and susceptibility to adverse health conditions that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority populations, persons of less privileged socioeconomic status, and other health disparity populations.

The scientific portfolio includes extramural grants, cooperative agreements and training and career development awards related to human studies in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, including, but not limited to research on the following:

• Genomic and epigenomic risk and protective factors;
• Human microbiome contributions to health and disease;
• Effects of chronic stress on physiological functioning (allostatic load) across the life course;
• Neurodevelopmental processes that influence cognition and behavior;
• Mechanisms through which behavioral risk and protective factors influence the development of adverse health conditions;
• Individual-level strategies and interpersonal relationships for coping with adversity and chronic stress;
• Impact of racism and discrimination on health behavior and strategies to ameliorate their effects; and
• Mechanisms underlying health literacy and health numeracy and their influence on health-seeking or health-harming behaviors.

Other Research Interest Areas
Clinical and Health Services Research
Community Health and Population Science

Page updated March 30, 2022