Integrative Biological and Behavioral Sciences

Research that identifies, characterizes, and evaluates the biological, physiological, and developmental mechanisms, etiology, and interrelationships of factors that contribute to and/or impact 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 influence health and health disparities in diverse populations.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright, Dr. Rina Das, Dr. Seema Desai

Social Epigenomics
Research that integrates biological, social, and behavioral science principles to 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 in populations experiencing health disparities.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Rina Das, Dr. Seema Desai, Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright

Human Microbiome
Research to understand the role and impact of the microbiome on the health of populations experiencing health disparities, including but not limited to studies on changes in the microbiome diversity 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. Seema Desai, Dr. Gabriel Lai

Lifestyle Factors
Research to understand the etiology associated with lifestyle factors, including physical activity, nutrition and diet, and sleep, which may influence health advantages or risk for disease among populations experiencing health disparities. For example, sleep disparities have been observed among racial and ethnic minority populations, people of lower SES, and rural populations. Further research is needed to understand and address the social determinants of sleep health disparities and their consequences for health outcomes.

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 among populations experiencing health disparities, 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. Seema Desai, Dr. Olga Herren, Dr. Utibe Bickham-Wright

Stress on Physiological Functioning
Research to address the cumulative effects of historical contexts and life events, including the association between exposure to prejudice and discrimination and chronic stress, across a range of biological regulatory systems. Research can also include multi-level and multi-domain exposures to stress and interactions among the levels and domains as they relate to population-level risk and resilience.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Seema Desai, 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 equity, which contribute to the unequal burden of morbidity, mortality, and other health outcomes among populations experiencing disparities.

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
Basic research on behavioral, psychological, and/or social risk or protective health factors acting with or through biological pathways that influence minority health and health disparities (e.g., the role of the social context in the subjective experience of physical pain).

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido, Dr. Seema Desai, 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 on populations experiencing disparities. 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 for populations experiencing disparities.

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 among populations experiencing health disparities.

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 (i.e., heuristics) and biases (e.g., implicit stereotyping and prejudice, stigmatization) to adverse health outcomes, and interventions to reduce maladaptive processes to increase uptake of health promotive behaviors among populations experiencing health disparities.

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 ideology, practices, customs, values, beliefs, and other cultural or societal-bound factors through social rules and institutional policies.

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 among populations who experience health disparities 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 (including misinformation, conflicting, or changing evidence, and risk information), and/or applies health and science communication evidence, strategy, and theory to encourage behaviors that advance health and well-being (e.g., reduce vaccine hesitancy).

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

Research that identifies, characterizes, and evaluates environmental exposures within the social, built, and physical environments leading to environmental health disparities and other adverse health outcomes. DIBBS is particularly interested in the evaluation of these factors and stressors at multiple levels and domains, including cumulative risk and resilience models, and intervening on these factors through environmental justice-focused interventions.

Chemical and Physical Agents and Other Hazardous Factors
Research that advances the understanding of the effects and pathways of environmental or occupational exposures on health through chemical and physical agents and other hazardous factors.

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

Social and Built Environment
Research that evaluates the role of social and physical environments where people live or work as they affect or contribute to risk of disease and adverse health outcomes among populations experiencing health disparities.

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

Climate Change
Research that evaluates the impact of climate change, including research on the health and mental health effects of changes in climate (e.g., disasters, heat waves), climate change preparedness or resilience in vulnerable communities, and climate adaptation or mitigation.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Arielle Gillman, Dr. Arundhati Gogineni, Dr. Gabriel Lai, Dr. Deborah Linares

Exposome
Research that considers the totality of environmental exposures that affect risk of disease and other health outcomes in populations experiencing health disparities, including studies on concurrent exposures in the physical-chemical domain (e.g., air and/or water pollution, pesticides) or ecosystem domain (e.g., built environment, green/blue space).

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.

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 among populations experiencing health disparities by identifying the mechanisms of effective interventions and behavior change at the individual, interpersonal, and system levels.

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

Nutrition Interventions
Multi-level (i.e., individual, community, societal) interventions to eliminate barriers to equitable access to nutritious foods and cultured-centered interventions to improve healthy eating among populations experiencing health disparities.

Program Contact(s): Dr. Carlos Garrido

Dissemination and Implementation Science
Research that focuses on evaluating methods and strategies that facilitate the equitable uptake 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. Seema Desai, 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 disparities and to provide a holistic picture of how these disparities are created, sustained, and potentially disrupted among populations experiencing health disparities. 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/diseases among populations experiencing health disparities.
• 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 in minority health research (e.g., limited data, bias, small populations, such as indigenous communities and intersectional groups), and application of these methods or technologies to study mechanisms and pathways of health disparities and minority health.

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