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    Gerend Health Psychology Lab

    Welcome to the Gerend Health Psychology Lab! Our research focuses on understanding social and psychological factors that affect health and health behavior. We are also interested in designing and implementing effective interventions for promoting behavior change. Much of our work centers on reducing health disparities in groups disproportionately affected by disease.

Welcome to the Gerend Health Psychology Lab! Our research focuses on understanding social and psychological factors that affect health and health behavior. We are also interested in designing and implementing effective interventions for promoting behavior change. Much of our work centers on reducing health disparities in groups disproportionately affected by disease.

Research Interests

  • Health Psychology
  • Health Messaging and Health Communication
  • Cancer Prevention Behavior
    • Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination
    • Cancer Screening
    • Tobacco Cessation
  • Health Disparities
  • Stigma and Health

HPV Vaccination among Low-Income Hispanic Adolescents

  • Funding: National Cancer Institute
  • Collaborators: Elena Reyes, Michelle Kazmer, Elizabeth Slate, and Yesenia Stephens
  • Goal: The goal of this project is to identify psychosocial, cultural, and interpersonal factors associated with HPV vaccine completion among low-income Hispanic and Latina/o adolescents.

Using Text Messaging to Increase HPV Vaccination among Young Sexual Minority Men

  • Funding: National Cancer Institutetxt2project logo
  • Collaborators: Brian Mustanski, Gregory Phillips II, Madga Houlberg, Michael Bass, Krystal Madkins, Shariell Crosby, and Kai Korpak
  • Goal: The goal of this project is to design and pilot test a mobile health intervention (txt2project) to increase HPV vaccination among young gay and bisexual men.

Promoting HPV Vaccination among Students attending Florida State University

  • Funding: FSU College of Medicine Summer Research Fellowship awarded to Caitlyn Murdock

  • Collaborators: Caitlyn Murdock, Kelly Grove, and University Health Services
  • Goal: The goal of this project is to develop a campus-wide educational campaign to increase rates of HPV vaccine initiation and completion among students attending FSU.
Caillyn Murdock Research Fair Poster
Caltlyn Murdock, 2018 FSU College of Medicine Summer Research Fellow

Dr. Mary Gerend is seeking several bright, mature, and conscientious students with interests in health psychology to join her research team.

Current research projects focus on discrimination and health, cancer prevention behavior, and health messaging.

Spring 2019 lab students
Dr. Gerend (center) and Spring 2019 DIS students

Responsibilities in the lab may include:

  • Running experimental sessions
  • Attending weekly lab meetings
  • Assisting with participant recruitment
  • Coding qualitative data

Requirements:

  • Minimum GPA - 3.2
  • Must be able to attend weekly lab meeting held on Tuesdays from 3:30PM-4:30 PM
  • Available for 9 hours per week (3 credits)

 

Positions are ideal for students interested in medical school or graduate school in health psychology or public health.

For more information, please contact Mary Gerend, Ph.D.