The mission of my Cardiometabolic Behavioral Medicine (CBM) Lab is to identify novel risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases and to develop, evaluate, and disseminate new approaches for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Our epidemiologic and mechanistic research seeks to inform intervention research by elucidating psychosocial risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases and their underlying biological and behavioral mechanisms. Our intervention research seeks to translate these epidemiologic and mechanistic discoveries into new programs designed to prevent cardiometabolic diseases, particularly in primary care settings.
Research topics examined in the CBM Lab include:
- Biological Factors: systemic inflammation, autonomic function, cardiovascular psychophysiology, endothelial dysfunction, subclinical cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, HIV
- Psychological Factors: depression (disorder subtypes and symptom clusters), anxiety, hostility/anger, insomnia, dietary factors, medical adherence
- Social Factors: stressful life events, racial/ethnic and immigrant health disparities
- Intervention Approaches: eHealth, CBT, antidepressant medications
