Metabolism & Stress Assessment Lab

Our Research

Background

Everyday life stressors and community level burdens have been shown to alter brain biology. Psychoendocrinology literature shows compelling evidence that stress-induced changes to the body may contribute to obesity and metabolic diseases. Specifically, psychosocial and environmental stressors can disrupt hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, which in turn will alter cortisol levels throughout the day.

Disrupted cortisol patterns have been shown to be associated with increased risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Work in this area of research has implications for public health and health care practitioners by raising awareness of health risks associated with stress and the need for stress-reduction programs and interventions.

Research Questions

The overarching research aim of the MeSA pilot study to understand the complex relationship between various stressors, HPA-axis activity, and body fat. In this effort, we will characterize perceived, community, and biological stress and assess their relationships with body fat measures.

Method

Since our lab is grounded in clinical epidemiological design, we only use quantitative methods. Our data are collected via self-reported surveys, health behavior assessments, and physiological measures from biospecimens.