Spring 2018
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.
A past award recipient from India visited the US lab of SBM member Patricia A. Parker, PhD, director of the Communication Skills Training and Research Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The collaboration helped develop research that tested the disclosure decision-making model in cancer communication.
Other award recipients have traveled to Australia, Germany, and Chile to
- design, implement, and evaluate strategies to influence the behavior of children in selecting and consuming healthy food options in school settings;
- evaluate the role of emotion regulation strategies in acute stress reactivity; and
- evaluate psychosocial factors and cardiometabolic dysregulation in adult cancer survivors.
The award, formally called the Health and Behavior International Collaborative Award, is being offered thanks to a partnership among SBM, the International Society of Behavioral Medicine, the Society for Health Psychology, and the American Psychosomatic Society.
SBM is a new partner this year, and leaders are delighted to work with these organizations to help the next generation of behavioral medicine researchers.
“International experiences remind us of how culture shapes science, including the kinds of questions we ask and the way we answer them,” explained SBM member Kristie Foley, PhD, one of SBM’s representatives on the award committee. “I’m delighted to participate in an initiative that can offer a truly formative experience for a young scholar.”
SBM’s other award committee representative, Kelsey Vaca, MS, is similarly excited, especially since she is a young scholar herself.
“Applying for grants and funding awards can be a daunting process at the beginning of our careers,” she said. “I hope fellow students and recent graduates will view this award as something accessible to them and consider applying.”
A total of four awards, each worth $3,000, will be given this year. One of the awards is specially designated for an SBM member. Applications are due May 1.