The central goal of the proposed 3-year Exploratory/Developmental Award is to create the Rochester Center for Mind-Body Research (RCMBR). The RCMBR will develop an infrastructure to bring together faculty with diverse backgrounds, creating an environment that generates inquiry about mind-body interactions in middle aged and older adults. RCMBR research will be organized around three health outcomes of considerable public health significance, each having central immunological components: cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases (psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis), and vaccine responses (initially, the response to influenza vaccine). Cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases are leading causes of chronic disability in aging adults in the U.S. Despite the availability of vaccine, influenza remains a serious infection in the elderly; 90% of influenza deaths annually in the U.S. occur in those individuals aged 65 and older. The vision and mission of the RCMBR will be driven by collaborative research in psychoneuroimmunology and developmental health psychology, particularly driven by the idea that mind-body relationships are moderated by age. This RFA comes at a most fortuitous time for us, as we are in the process of building a program of human research and are poised to facilitate innovative, interdisciplinary collaboration in mind-body research both locally and nationally. The program of human research is to be catalyzed by the targeted recruitment of junior faculty with potential for having considerable impact on the course and direction of human psychoneuroimmunology and mind-body research. As well, NIH funding will facilitate a seed grant research program; a """"""""brown-bag"""""""" seminar series; the submission of research, training and conference grant applications; and symposia for the local community in conjunction with visits from our External Advisory Board. By the end of the award period, we will be a mature, established Center with a submitted program project or Center grant application.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 18 publications
