It's Not the Genes OR the Environment, It's the Genes AND the Environment!

My research aims to identify psychosocial factors that are involved in the pathogenesis and course of major medical disorders, to characterize the biobehavioral mechanisms whereby such factors influence disease, and to develop both behavioral and pharmacologic means of preventing or ameliorating the adverse impact of psychosocial factors on health and disease. Specific projects that are currently active include: 1) The influence of hostile personality, social isolation, depression and other psychosocial risk factors upon the development and course of cardiometabolic disease; 2) Biological and genetic mechanisms whereby psychosocial risk factors influence disease development and course; and 3) Behavioral and pharmacologic approaches to ameliorate impact of psychosocial risk factors on disease risk and course.