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Graduate Program
Health Psychology

Core Faculty in Health

  • Dr. Janis Crowther
    • Jan Crowther
  • Clinical Program
  • Body image disturbance, chronic dieting, and binge eating.
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  • Dr. Doug Delahanty
    • Doug Delahanty
  • Experimental Program
  • Psychophysiological predictors and correlates of posttraumatic stress; secondary pharmacological interventions for trauma victims
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  • Dr. John Gunstad
    • John Gunstad
  • Clinical Program
  • The neuropsychology of aging and disease, with a particular interest in cardiovascular disease and obesity.
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  • Dr. Stevan Hobfoll
    • Stevan Hobfoll
  • Clinical Program
  • Stress and health, AIDS prevention and women's health empowerment.
  •  
  • Dr. Joel Hughes
    • Joel Hughes
  • Clinical Program
  • The role of psychological and social factors in cardiovascular health and disease.
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  • Dr. Kristin Mickelson
    • Kristin Mickelson
  • Experimental Program
  • Psychosocial factors in health, mediational role of social support in stress and health, socioeconomic status and health.
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  • Dr. Dan Neal
    • Dan Neal
  • Clinical Program
  • Risk and protective factors associated with alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences in older adolescents and young adults.
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  • Dr. Benjamin Newberry
    • Ben Newberry
  • Experimental Program
  • Psychoneuroimmunology, stress and disease, particularly immune system-induced illness behavior.
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  • Dr. Mary Ann Stephens
    • Mary Ann Stephens
  • Experimental Program
  • Coping, social support and psychological adjustment in response to chronic stress.
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  • Dr. John Updegraff
    • John Updegraff
  • Experimental Program
  • Health communication and health behavior; Cognitive and emotional processes involved in well-being and adjustment to stress.
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Health Psychology at Kent State University

Health psychology is a major strength and focus of research across both the Clinical and Experimental Training Programs of our department. We are also an unusual department in that health psychology faculty across areas work together and graduate students often choose mentors outside their own training program. So, some Experimental students have Clinical faculty mentors and some Clinical students have mentors from the Experimental faculty.  Many graduate students have secondary mentors that cross sub-disciplinary lines.

Our faculty are internationally recognized for their contributions to the field of health psychology, on a wide range of topics such as cardiovascular health, psychological and physiological responses to stress and chronic illness, social support, alcohol use, HIV prevention and health promotion. 

We also have an unusual relationship with Summa Health System, a nearby major hospital and medical provider system. This translates to research and clinical training opportunities that are not typically available at other institutions. Many of our faculty have Faculty status at Summa. This means that we and our students often conduct our research and train with patients and their families across many areas of medicine. This particularly supports our Health Psychology program.  Graduate students find themselves gaining important research and clinical experience in Psychiatry, Cardiology, Trauma Medicine, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology and elsewhere.  

As you read and learn about us, you will see that we have a strong research focus in everything we do. We are a leading recipient of National Institute of Health grants in recent years. We publish actively and in top journals and you will see that our graduate students, and sometimes even undergraduates, are co-authors and lead authors in these publications.  Perhaps our most central value is conducting and publishing research that "matters" and advances the knowledge base that is necessary for improving people's lives.

Research Training in Health Psychology

Graduate students interested in either the Clinical or Experimental Ph.D. programs can take advantage of a number of training opportunities in Health Psychology, including: 

  • The Clinical Health Psychology program is designed for graduate students interested in conducting health psychology research while receiving clinical training. Faculty in the Clinical Health Psychology program specialize in dieting and eating disorders, depression and cardiovascular health, stress and health, neuropsychology of aging and disease, and alcohol use and abuse.

  • The Experimental Health Psychology program is designed for graduate students interested in conducting basic and applied research in health psychology with a strong emphasis on research training, but do not desire clinical training. Faculty in the Experimental Health Psychology program specialize in understanding adjustment to stress, social relations and chronic illness, psychophysiology, gender attitudes, health communication and well-being.