The overarching goal of the Health Psychology Lab is to provide health psychology faculty and students with a facility for collecting, processing, and assessing biological samples.  The Health Psychology Lab includes facilities for running subjects through experimental and non-experimental protocols that involve collection of biological samples, preparing these samples for analysis, and conducting biological assays.  The Health Psychology Lab will also be used to train undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral trainees who are interested in psychobiology and health psychology. 

COURSES OFFERED

Psychoneuroimmunology

Syllabus

The goals of this course are to introduce students to the field of psychoneuroimmunology and help them develop the conceptual and methodological skills necessary for interpreting research in this area.

Biology of Chronic Disease for Behavioral and Population Scientists

Syllabus

The emphasis in this course is on populations who already have a particular chronic disease or condition, rather than primary or secondary prevention of that chronic disease or condition. Thus, this course is being taught from the perspective of tertiary prevention: reducing the negative impact of existing disease, restoring function, and reducing disease-related complications.

Human Physiology in Social and Behavioral Science

Syllabus

The goals of this course are as follows:

• To facilitate your learning about the basic anatomy and activities of physiological systems that relate psychological factors to health, and the interconnections between these systems.
• To help you develop skills in thinking about physiological systems and applying that knowledge to biobehavioral research.
• To familiarize you with the practical and logistical issues involved in measuring the activities in various physiological systems.