IBR

Centers of Excellence

Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery

The Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery provides opportunities for interdisciplinary interaction and collaboration for faculty concerned with the widely diverse-but often overlapping-issues under the rubrics of health and service delivery. Current research focuses on alcoholism, cancer, depression, social psychological changes among the elderly, sexual aggression, and women's reproductive health issues.

The Center is directed by Paul Roman, Ph.D. Dr. Roman assumed the Directorship of the Center for Behavioral Health & Human Services Delivery in 1986. He also holds the academic rank of Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology.

Center for Family Research

The Center for Family Research promotes the understanding of the family through research conducted by interdisciplinary teams of scientists. Current research at the Center focuses on divorce, parenting, spousal abuse, depression within the marital dyad, parental depression, as well as diabetes, HIV, and sexual communication in families.

For more information visit their web site.

The Center is directed by Gene Brody, Ph.D. Dr. Brody became Director of the Center for Family Research in 1995. He also holds the academic rank of Regents Professor.

Center for Integrative Conservation Research

The CICR is a new center supported by the IBR. The focus of the Center is the issue of how to more effectively practice conservation in a context that is unmistakably and inextricably social. This issue has emerged as a dominant unresolved question in conservation and addressing this questions clearly draws on the expertise of behavioral scientists. The Center for Integrative Conservation Research is devoted to developing interdisciplinary research to examine the complex ecological and social relationships that underpin successful environmental conservation efforts.

For more information visit their website.

The Center is Directed by Pete Brosius, Ph.D. Dr. Brosius became Director of the ACSC in January, 2007. He holds the academic rank of Professor of Anthropology.

The Center for Gene-Social Environment Transactions (C-GSET) and the Center for Contextual Genetics and Prevention Science (GGAPS)

Two groups are working together to connect behavioral and biological scientists interested in understanding the intersections of genetic and environmental contributions to health, health behavior, and interpersonal outcomes. The focus of the group is on strengthening the infrastructure for collaborative research and grant proposal writing.

The CGSET is directed by Steven Beach, Ph.D.

Dr. Beach became Director of the Gene-Enviornment Interaction Work Group in 2004 and later became the initial director for the Center when it was officially recognized. Dr. Beach is the Director of the Institute for Behavioral Research and holds the academic rank of Professor of Psychology.

The CGAPS is an externally funded Center grant directed by Gene Brody, Ph.D.

Dr. Brody became Director of the Center for Contextual Genetics and Prevention Science in 2009. Dr. Brody is Director of the Center for Family Research and holds the academic rank of Regents Professor.

For more information visit their website.

The Center for Gambling Research

The Center for Gambling Research began operations in August, 2012. The CGR brings together researchers from diverse disciplines to foster collaborative research and continuing education and training on the diverse impacts of gambling activity.

The Center is directed by Adam Goodie, Ph.D. Dr.Goodie holds the academic rank of Associate Professor of Psychology.

For more information visit www.ibr.uga.edu/centers_groups/gambling.htm.

Work Groups

Neuroscience Behavior, and Cognition

This is an interdisciplinary group that studies behavior and/or cognition from a neural systems perspective. The research programs may take a "top down" or a "bottom up" approach. In the former approach, the whole organism is studied to understand underlying mechanisms (i.e., such as basic neural systems or circuits mediating behavior, sensation or cognition), whereas in the latter approach, the focus is on uncovering the larger functional role of a specific gene, neuronal population, or circuit. Areas of interest include sensation and perception, affective disorders, compulsive behavior and cognition. Subjects employed in these experiments range from rodents to capuchin monkeys to humans. Research methods include brain imaging in animals or humans.

The Group is co-directed by Brett Clementz, Ph.D. Dr. Clementz assumed the Directorship of the Neuroscience Behavior, And Cognition Group in 2009. He also holds the academic rank of Professor of Psychology.

Race, Class, Place, and Outcomes Group

The Race, Class, Place, and Outcomes (RCPO) research group provides opportunities for interaction and collaboration among faculty and graduate students concerned with a range of issues related to community level variables and processes including individual's race and social class, the effects of location and place, as well as societal and cultural factors as they affect a range of health, family, and individual outcomes. The group represents and supports inquiry into areas ranging from basic definitional issues to applied questions. In addition, the group provides opportunities among scholars from diverse disciplines across the social sciences, education, and the humanities.

The Group is directed by Jerome Morris, Ph.D. Dr. Morris joined as co-director and became Director in 2008. He also holds the academic rank of Professor in Social Foundations of Education.

The Violence Group

The violence work group provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary interaction in response to research opportunities and research funding in the interrelated areas of intimate partner violence, workplace violence, school violence, bullying, sexual exploitation, sexual violence, and family violence. We plan to work collaboratively with other centers and work groups to examine contextual influences, interventions, and consequences of violence in human relationships. Our focus will be on better understanding the causes, consequences, and solutions for interpersonal violence in its many different manifestations.

The Group is co-directed by Karen Calhoun, Ph.D. and Dr. Jody Clay-Warner, Ph.D. Dr. Calhoun became Director of the Violence Work group in 2005. She also holds the academic rank of Professor of Psychology. Dr. Clay-Warner joined as co-director in 2008 and holds the academic rank of Associate Professor of Sociology.

Behavioral Economics and Neuroeconomics Work Group

The Behavioral Economics and Neuroeconomics Work Group will focus broadly on interdisciplinary approaches to understanding preferences and both normative behavior and dysregulated consumption (e.g., alcohol and drug addiction, pathological gambling, obesity). The scope encompasses both intra-individual factors (e.g., past preferences, genetic variation, neurobiological substrates) and contextual factors (e.g., price, delay, uncertainty, complementarity/substitutability). The goal is to foster cross-fertilization of interests and create opportunities for collaborative extramural funding and research.

The Group is directed by James MacKillop, Ph.D.  Dr. MacKillop became Director of the Behavioral Economics and Neuroeconomics Work Group in 2010.  He also holds the academic rank of Assistant Professor.

 

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