The applicant has a long-standing interest in behavioral medicine research, with particular emphasis on the role of stress and mental health in the development of medical disorders. He has received an M.D. and Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Anatomy and is Board Certified in General Psychiatry. His previous research has involved identification of communication, routes between the central nervous system (CNS) and the rodent immune system, which may be involved m stress-related immune changes and the development of immune-mediated disorders. This Mentored Research Scientist Development Award is designed to provide him with the skills necessary to pursue his long-term goals of conducting longitudinal human studies of stress-related health changes, understanding the psychological and biological factors which govern this relationship, and developing appropriate treatment strategies for prevention of stress-related medical illness. To achieve these goals, the applicant has proposed a series of career development activities and research studies under the mentorship of Dr. Andrew Baum, exploring the role of stress in the autoimmune disorder multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is one of the most common neurologic disorders, produced by immune-mediated destruction of the CNS. Since the earliest descriptions of MS, stress has been considered an important factor contributing to the progression of the disorder; however, there have been few systematic studies in this area. During the award period, the candidate will conduct a prospective longitudinal study of stress and health in MS patients, while monitoring mental health and biological factors which may play a role in stress- related exacerbations. This research experience will be supplemented by career development activities supervised by pioneering researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State University, University of Chicago, and University of California, Los Angeles. The proposed training program is designed to develop the candidate's expertise in: 1) longitudinal study design and analysis; 2) autonomic and neuroendocrine regulation of the immune system; 3) use of animal models of autoimmune disorders; 4) statistical modeling of stress and disease; and 5) the development of interventions for stress-related medical disorders directed at physical and mental health; and will give him the skills necessary to pursue an independent academic career in behavioral medicine research.
| Ackerman, Kurt D; Stover, Angela; Heyman, Rock et al. (2003) 2002 Robert Ader New Investigator award. Relationship of cardiovascular reactivity, stressful life events, and multiple sclerosis disease activity. Brain Behav Immun 17:141-51 |
| Ackerman, Kurt D; Heyman, Rock; Rabin, Bruce S et al. (2002) Stressful life events precede exacerbations of multiple sclerosis. Psychosom Med 64:916-20 |
