Integrative Biological & Behavioral Sciences

Interdisciplinary research that identifies, characterizes, the biological, physiological, and developmental mechanisms, etiology, and interrelationships of factors that contribute to and/or impact multiple chronic diseases, comorbidities, and other health outcomes. DIBBS is interested in the evaluation of these mechanisms with respect to other concurrent domains of influence, such as behavioral, environmental, sociocultural, and health care factors.

Genomic and Epigenomic Factors

Research to investigate and understand the mechanisms of how genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and other related patterns and biological signatures are influenced or how they influence health.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright and Dr. Rina Das

Social Epigenomics

Research that integrates biological, social, and behavioral science principles into human epigenomic studies focused on identifying and characterizing the mechanisms by which social experiences at various life stages affect gene function and thereby influence health trajectories or modify disease risk and resilience.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Rina Das and Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright

Human Microbiome

Research to understand the role and impact of the microbiome on the health, including but not limited to studies on changes in the microbiome from dietary or social and environmental exposures and pathways in which the host environment influences metabolic, immune, and neuroendocrine functions.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright, Dr. Gabriel Lai

Lifestyle Factors

Research to understand the etiology of lifestyle factors, including physical activity, nutrition and diet, and sleep, which may influence health advantages or risk for disease.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright, Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arielle Gillman, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Olga Herren, Dr. Gabriel Lai, Dr. Deborah Linares

Immunological Factors

Research to identify, characterize, and evaluate immune mechanisms, innate and adaptive that influence disease pathogenesis and other health outcomes, including but not limited to studies that examine impact of social determinants of health on the immune system, inflammation, and metabolic outcomes.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Rina Das, Dr. Olga Herren, Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright

Stress on Physiological Functioning

Research to address the cumulative effects of stress, across a range of biological regulatory systems that influences health. Research can also include multi-level and multi-domain exposures to stress and interactions as they relate to population-level risk and resilience.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Olga Herren, Dr. Deborah Linares

Intergenerational and Life Course Pathways

Research applying a life course approach to examine the longitudinal effects of exposure to socioeconomic hardship and other adversities at critical developmental periods on health outcomes, resilience, and well-being across generations.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Deborah Linares, Dr. Olga Herren

Research that identifies, characterizes, and evaluates psychosocial and biobehavioral assets and barriers to health, which contribute to one’s burden of morbidity, mortality, and other health outcomes.

Priority is on studies that focus on the life course of disproportionately affected populations and studies implementing an intersectional framework to study social determinants of health-focused behaviors. DIBBS is interested in the evaluation of these mechanisms with respect to other concurrent domains of influence, such as biological, environmental, sociocultural, and health care factors.

Biobehavioral

Integrative basic research on behavioral, psychological, and/or social risk or protective health factors acting with or through biological pathways that influence health.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Olga Herren, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni

Basic Behavioral

Basic behavioral research involving psychological processes (e.g., emotion, judgment, decision-making) to help predict, prevent, and manage illness through observational and mechanistic studies, as well as basic behavioral research may include basic experimental studies involving humans.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arielle Gillman

Cognition and Perception

Research that examines the role of cognitive-perceptual factors (e.g., perceived control over one’s health, self-efficacy, health literacy) with a focus on the underlying mechanisms leading to health-focused behavioral engagement.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arielle Gillman, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Olga Herren, Dr. Deborah Linares

Affective Science

Research that promotes understanding or aims to address the manner that emotional and affective processes, including motivation, influence health risk, conditions, and disease progression.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arielle Gillman, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Olga Herren, Dr. Deborah Linares

Intra- and Interpersonal Thought Processes

Research that seeks to understand the behavioral mechanisms and mediators linking cognitive processes and intra- and interpersonal experiences to adverse health outcomes.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Olga Herren, Dr. Arielle Gillman

Sociocultural Processes

Research that examines social, cultural, and environmental factors and the interrelated, complex, and iterative influences on health, including practices, customs, values, beliefs, and other cultural or contextual factors.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Deborah Linares, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Olga Herren

Resilience and Well-Being

Research to understand and promote resilience, and physical and mental well-being through psychosocial mechanisms, such as religiosity and spirituality, to optimize health.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Deborah Linares, Dr. Olga Herren

Health Communication

Research that examines responses to communication about health information, and/or applies health and science communication evidence, strategy, and theory to encourage behaviors that advance health and well-being.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arielle Gillman

Research that advances the understanding of the effects and pathways of specific determinants or exposures from chemical and/or physical agents, the social and built environment where people live or work and/or natural disasters, as well as other environmental factors which may affect or contribute to risk of disease and or influence health and well-being.

DIBBS is also interested in studies that address multiple factors and stressors including preparedness and resilience, adaptation or mitigation intervention research to improve overall health.

Exposome
Research that considers the totality of environmental exposures which may affect risk of disease, including studies on concurrent exposures in the physical-chemical or broader ecosystem of the built environment.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Seema Desai, Dr. Gabriel Lai, Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright

Research that evaluates the development, testing, delivery, and sustainability of health-related behavioral interventions to assess efficacy, feasibility, safety, and implementation challenges. DIBBS is also interested in research that advances the evaluation and synthesis of biobehavioral interventions among populations experiencing health disparities by identifying mechanisms of effective interventions.

Specific topics of interest include sleep health disparities, family-level interventions, interventions to reduce disparities in liver disease outcomes, and addressing health disparities among immigrant populations.

Biobehavioral or Other Integrative Interventions

Research that evaluates the development and testing of behavioral interventions and research that addresses the effectiveness, feasibility, and adaptability of integrative interventions to promote health and wellbeing.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arielle Gillman, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Olga Herren

Intervention Efficacy and Behavior Change

Research that increases progress in the evaluation and synthesis of interventions by identifying the mechanisms of effective interventions and behavior change at the individual, interpersonal, and system levels to improve overall health.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arielle Gillman, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Olga Herren

Nutrition Interventions

Multi-level interventions to eliminate barriers to access to nutritious foods and interventions to improve healthy eating, accounting for culture and context.

Program Contacts: Dr. Carlos Garrido

Dissemination and Implementation Science

Research that focuses on evaluating methods and strategies that facilitate the uptake and implementation of evidence-based interventions by identifying and addressing the barriers that slow or halt the effective adoption of evidence-based practices.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Olga Herren

Research utilizing data science, statistical methods, and technology-based approaches to investigate and integrate social, environmental, biobehavioral, and other factors contributing to health. DIBBS encourages studies including, but not limited to, the following:

• Application of novel artificial intelligence-based methods, such as machine learning, multi-omics, neural networks, natural language processing, and computational statistics approaches, to elucidate or intervene on biological or behavioral mechanisms of diseases.
• Development of data systems or linkages to harmonize different types of data (e.g., social media data, electronic health records, etc.) and levels of data (e.g., biological, behavioral, environmental, social, cultural, and/or health services data) to elucidate potential and common pathways of diseases and resiliency influencing health outcomes.
• Development, revision, and/or evaluation of multi-level statistical models and measures to assess and predict health advantages and risks of various conditions.
• New technologies to intervene on biological or behavioral mechanisms of diseases.
• Development and evaluation of novel methods, tools, or predictive analytic technologies to consider culturally and contextually relevant factors, approaches to overcome challenges, and application of these methods or technologies to study mechanisms and pathways of health outcomes.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Rina Das, Dr. Deborah Linares, Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright