Office of Undergraduate Research

How psychosocial stress affects sleep and the physical body

My project involves collecting and analyzing survey and physiological data related to stress physiology, health disparities, and potential solutions to those disparities. For instance, I am examining how cardiovascular responses to racism stress and anger provocation in the lab predict cortisol or immune responses when taking exams. Also, I will be looking at a number of personality traits such as anger expression and hostility that may influence these outcomes.

Tasks and responsibilities:

Students will have an opportunity to learn how to recruit participants for a psychophysiological lab study and online survey, help collect and organize survey and physiological data, and analyze and present research findings. Students will also have opportunities to present research at local conferences and assist in preparation of reports.