The primary goal of this program is to train research scientists in health psychology, specifically in the development and application of basic theories and research in psychology to issues of physical and mental health and their interrelationship. Our program for 4 pre-doctoral students and 3 postdoctoral fellows includes structured coursework in specific areas of health psychology and intensive supervised research in laboratory, medical, and community settings. The faculty is composed of 6 core faculty members including a director and two co-directors, and a group of more than 40 affiliated faculty in Psychology and other departments and schools at UCLA. This group brings a wide range of expertise in biobehavioral processes in physical and mental health to the training program including concentrated research training in key areas: biological bases of health and illness, stress processes, health behavior and behavior change, and sociocultural issues. These areas of concentration are supplemented by expertise among the faculty in human and animal models of specific physical diseases and mental disorders, and research programs involving all stages across the life span including prenatal and neonatal periods, infant health, childhood disorders, adolescent health, adult disorders and illnesses, and aging. Pre-doctoral trainees enter our program either in their first year of graduate training or after completion of the first year or two of coursework. Postdoctoral trainees enter the program within the first few years after completing an APA accredited Ph.D. program in any area of Psychology. During two-year appointments, trainees are required to take an introductory course in health psychology, a course in biological bases of health psychology, and electives in two areas (health behavior and stress processes). Strong methodological and statistical training is also emphasized. In addition to coursework, training involves intensive research throughout the two years via specific research projects initiated by trainees independently but closely supervised by teams of the faculty. Training takes place in Franz Hall which houses the Department of Psychology. The Health Psychology Program has offices, research space, and a computer lab on one floor in the department. The UCLA Health Psychology Program has a long and distinguished history of training outstanding researchers. We plan to continue our training program within the proposed new directions which include greater training in biological processes in health and illness and in health behavior and behavior change intervention. These shifts in emphasis put us in a unique position to contribute to understanding biobehavioral issues in physical and mental health at the outset of the next millenium.
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