Behavioral Medicine
Behavioral medicine is the interdisciplinary field concerned with understanding mechanisms by which health behaviors involving diet, physical activity, substance use and more influence the odds of developing chronic disease. Behavioral medicine scientists also study how to apply behavioral and psychosocial interventions effectively and efficiently to prevent and treat illness, foster adherence to medical treatments and improve quality of life.
Our goals are to study how behavioral and psychosocial influences ‘get under the skin’ to influence health outcomes and to apply that knowledge to promote health and prevent illness. We develop resource-efficient, effective interventions that incorporate digital components to extend population reach, accommodate individual differences and adapt to changes in state.”
Read about the new Northwestern Opt-IN remote weight loss program that slashed pounds. You can also read the full publication here.
For more information and to express an interest in signing up, visit the Opt-IN program website.The NCI training grant is a full-time T32 postdoctoral research training program in behavioral and psychosocial aspects of cancer prevention and control funded by the National Cancer Institute. The training program is based in the division of Behavioral Medicine in Preventive Medicine and in Medical Social Sciences.
The division serves as the base of learning resources in interdisciplinary team science. Resources include the Team Science online learning modules and the team science graduate course in the MSCI program. This course offers practical guidance about how best to engage in team science to pursue complex science questions, work effectively with team members and produce high-impact research outcomes that help meet society’s needs
Learning resources for are also developed and housed in the division.
Major research funding for the Department of Preventive Medicine’s Division of Behavioral Medicine has been awarded by the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, American Heart Society, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Child and Health Development, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, alongside other federal and private institutions.
Visit our faculty's lab pages to learn more:
Professor of Preventive Medicine (Behavioral Medicine), Medical Social Sciences and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Mohr received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona. He was on the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco from 1994 to 2006, when he moved to join the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University. He is the founder and director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs). Dr. Mohr has been elected as a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the Society for Behavioral Medicine.
Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine (Behavioral Medicine)
Research interests include: understanding the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying the relationship between physical activity and health and disease outcomes in cancer survivors; identifying the determinants of physical activity behavior change and maintenance; the intersection of cancer, aging, and multiple chronic conditions; the role of physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of cancer; and the translation of research in these areas to practice using technology and innovative study designs and methods.