Spring 2018
Editor's Note
As SBM President Gary Bennett presents in his message below, we are fast approaching our Annual Meeting in New Orleans and we can use that time to “Refresh, Renew, and Reach.” I invite you to ‘reach’ out to colleagues in SBM that are slightly adjacent to the work you do, perhaps read an article in this issue of Outlook from a SIG that you don't belong to, and see what opportunities may exist beyond your current boundaries. As Dr. Bennett states so eloquently, we all want to have a greater impact, and so I too invite you to look for opportunities to serve the society and to support the dissemination of your work to audiences previously unexplored.
Outlook Q & A
How do you talk to famous faculty? What approaches should a student use? What do famous faculty not want someone to do? What is the best way to network at a conference with senior faculty as a student? See what SBM senior members have to say in our Outlook Q & A section.
President's Message: Refresh, Renew, and Reach
In just a few weeks, we will gather in New Orleans for the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s (SBM's) 39th Annual Meeting. I look forward to every SBM meeting, but this one is especially poignant because it marks the end of my presidential term. After a year in this role, I can report that our society is healthy, vibrant, and focused on impact. Today, I am even more confident of what I wrote in my first Outlook message, nearly a year ago: "Rarely in our country's history has there been greater need for what SBM members can uniquely provide -- evidence-based insights and solutions that can improve Americans' health."
Digital Pills and Artificial Intelligence; Where is the Behavior in Digital Health?
In November of 2017, the FDA approved a digital pill; a medication that is embedded with a sensor that can tell doctors whether, and when, patients take their medicine. This technological strategy for addressing a behavioral issue—medication non-adherence—is but one example of the many innovative and, to some, controversial ways that the digital revolution is opening new horizons in health care. Although these innovative approaches to health care offer fascinating new tools to address longstanding gaps in clinical care, they do not obviate the role of behavior as a key element influencing health.
40 Years of SBM and the Biopsychosocial Model: With Middle Age Comes Thinking of the Next Generation of Population Health – From Microbes to the Masses.
It’s no coincidence that the 40th birthday of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) follows the 40-year anniversary of George Engle’s seminal 1977 paper introducing the biopsychosocial model. Some might argue that this work provided half of SBM’s DNA, so to speak.
Career Advice from SBM Consultants: “Do a Few Things Wellâ€
Welcome to the fourth “ETCD Council corner” segment. In each issue of Outlook, look to the ETCD Council corner for information related to our mission, which is to provide SBM members with opportunities and support to enhance their training and career development throughout all phases of their careers in behavioral medicine.
Training and Mentorship Updates from the Student SIG
As one of few SIGs united not by a research topic but by a shared training status, the Student SIG has spent the year working to identify and then enact initiatives to support the training and mentorship of our members. The first step in this process was identification of student needs, accomplished by reviewing the 2016-2017 Student SIG’s post-conference survey. As a result of this review process, we identified several student priorities (learning about nontraditional career options, networking with relevant program leaders), and barriers to participation in SBM’s Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions (primarily geographical and/or financial).
How Technology is Being Used to Influence Behavior Change in the Fitness Industry
Health technology has become a vital tool for many researchers in the design and implementation of interventions to improve population health. Questions about validity, reliability and best practice for use are continually being investigated and debated. How those outside of a research setting, such as gyms and fitness clubs, use technology to influence behavior change is less clear. Ciarán Friel, a BIT SIG member, spoke recently with Alex Zimmerman, Director of the Tier X personal training program at Equinox to find out how technology is being used to impact the behaviors of their members and how research is used to guide company strategy.
SBM Joins Forces to Help Students Do International Research
The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) has partnered with several other organizations to offer a special award that allows students and early-career professionals to visit the labs of international mentors to help advance research projects or program development projects.
VIDEO: Check Out SBM’s 2018 Annual Meeting Keynote Speakers
SBM is proud to welcome an impressive lineup of keynote speakers. Learn more about them in these short and sweet videos.
Looking Forward to SBM's 39th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions
The 2018 Annual Meeting is quickly approaching! The 2018 Annual Meeting Program will focus on the theme of "Extending Our Reach." We will feature inspiring presenters providing concrete ways to expand the impact of behavioral medicine to policymakers, government agencies, community organizations, journalists, healthcare practitioners, industry partners, and other sectors interested in “better health through behavior change”.
SBM’s Pilot Mentoring Program: Sponsored by Spirituality and Health, Health Equity, and Violence and Trauma
Three of the Society of Behavioral Medicine's (SBM's) Special Interest Groups (SIGS) have joined forces to create a one-on-one mentoring program for SBM members whereby junior members have the opportunity to collaborate with senior members over a 1-year timespan to build their professional skills, networks, and products.
Honors and Awards
Congratulations to the following SBM members who recently received awards or were otherwise honored. To have your honor or award featured in the next issue of Outlook, please email ahahn@sbm.org.
Members in the News
The following Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) members and their research were recently featured in journals, news articles, or videos. To have your news spot featured in the next issue of Outlook, please email ahahn@sbm.org.
Upcoming Events:
41st Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions
April 1-4, 2020
San Francisco, CA
