Our research efforts center on understanding individual- and community-level factors that influence health behavior choices and developing ways to encourage positive behavior change.
The Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC) program was developed to provide caregivers with tools to increase their self-care and confidence. This study explores a program to train minority communities in Western New York on the PTC techniques and why the program has been a challenge to implement.
African Americans have the highest colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality of any ethnic/racial group. This study aims to increase our understanding of factors which influence African Americans’ decisions about health care seeking and CRC screening behavior.
By understanding how individuals think about and make decisions regarding health behaviors, we can develop more effective ways of encouraging behavior changes.
Co-investigator Gregory G. Homish, PhD, collaborated with UB’s Research Institute on Addictions to examine the association between heavy drinking and aggression in samples of adult, intimate couples.
The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) was created by major national and international health agencies to improve the ability of countries to design, implement and evaluate anti-tobacco efforts.
A growing research literature has indicated that impulse control is an important factor in the development, maintenance and treatment of addictive disorders.
People sometimes don’t know their risk for health problems. This study examines how not knowing your risk affects engaging in health behaviors to prevent health problems.
Using cell phones and interactive voice response technology, R. Lorraine Collins, PhD, is examining the separate and simultaneous use of malt liquor and marijuana among young adults.
Sleep disturbances are cardinal features of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. This randomized cross-over trial will examine two treatment options for sleep apnea among veterans.
A clinical trial conducted will compare the effectiveness of two long-acting opioids—methadone and buprenorphine—on the treatment of chronic pain in patients with existing addictions.
This study seeks to determine if exercise serves as a positive alternative to regular marijuana use among 18-25 year olds. The findings will help develop secondary prevention strategies to reduce substance-abuse risk.
This project will examine the impact of prenatal exposure to cigarettes on a child’s development of self-regulation—the ability to modulate emotions and behave in socially appropriate ways.
Despite the commonly held belief that marijuana suppresses aggression, many cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys find positive associations between marijuana use and intimate partner violence (IPV).
There are racial disparities in prostate cancer treatment, but the root causes of these disparities are unknown. Heather Orom, PhD, is exploring several possible explanations to help reduce racial gaps in prostate cancer mortality and patient treatment.
The prevention of HIV acquisition has been transformed over the last decade with the introduction of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), in which at-risk HIV uninfected individuals take antiretroviral medications daily to prevent infection.
This study aims to shed light on these poorly understood and critically important questions as part of a concerted strategy to improve SUD outcomes and decrease HIV infections.
R. Lorraine Collins, PhD, discusses her research to determine if exercise serves as a positive alternative to regular marijuana use among young adults.