The PHaD Lab has conducted data collection on 2 cohorts of West Virginia University freshman to explore predictors and outcomes associated with successful transition to college. These pilot projects provided ample data to explore how adverse childhood experiences, normative family experiences, and personality shape the trajectories of substance use, social relationships, mental health, and academic functioning when entering college. We have also recruited a non-college comparison sample to identify differences in trajectories in the 18-21 range when individuals do not attend college. This pilot data is being used in grant applications so we can conduct a multi-site and multi-year project examining such associations. In addition, our goal is to utilize daily diary approaches to explore momentary adjustments to college life (e.g., ecological momentary assessment). Such data will ultimately provide key information on intervention targets to assist at-risk students during their adjustment to college.
The PHaD Lab is currently in the planning phases to recruit middle to older aged community dwelling individuals from the greater Appalachia area. The purpose is to recruit a cohort study and examine baseline social, psychological, behavioral, and physiological functioning characteristics. The health disparities among this aging population are quite unique of a largely Caucasian rural sample. The main goal of this pilot study is to obtain extramural funding to follow this cohort longitudinal to examine predictors of aging trajectories.
The PHaD lab has been working on several projects examining the behavioral and physiological mechanisms connecting adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to later life health outcomes. This work will serve as the foundation for an R01 grant to NIA to conduct a coordinated analysis to examine the precise mechanisms connecting ACEs to health, as well as identifying "resilience" in response to adversity.
Higher levels of neuroticism are not uniformly detrimental to health. In fact, recent evidence suggests that higher levels of neuroticism may actually be health protective under certain circumstances. We will explore this “adaptive neuroticism” more closely in a large MTurk study of individuals from across the U.S. Our goal will be to test various moderators of neuroticism to uncover if there are certain individuals with certain characteristics that their high levels of neuroticism do not seem to lead to deterimental behaviors and poor health outcomes. Another focus is to test facets of neuroticism to determine whether certain components of neuroticsm are "better" than others in terms of health.