Welcome

The Vermont Center on Behavior and Health (VCBH), led by Director Stephen T. Higgins, PhD, is an interdisciplinary research center committed to investigating relationships between personal behavior patterns (i.e., lifestyle) and risk for chronic disease and premature death. Our work has historically focused on health disparities for the most vulnerable populations, particularly among the socioeconomically disadvantaged where these risk factors are overrepresented.

 

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Located in Burlington, VT at the University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, VCBH researchers have a specific focus on understanding mechanisms underpinning risk and developing effective interventions and policies to promote healthy behavior. A common thread across VCBH research projects is the application of knowledge from the disciplines of behavioral economics and behavioral pharmacology to increase understanding of vulnerability to unhealthy behavior and the use of incentives and other behavioral and pharmacological interventions to support healthy behavior change interventions and policies.

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Upcoming VCBH Events

Monthly Lecture Series:

May 21:
Katie Witkiewitz, PhD
University of New Mexico

Visit the Center on Rural Addiction

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VCBH Career Opportunities

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
Click here for more information.

VCBH News

  • Tradeoffs Podcast: The Best Way to Fight Meth Addiction? Gift Cards
    For decades, the most effective treatment for methamphetamine and cocaine addiction has been mostly locked away in small research studies. But with overdose deaths involving meth and cocaine on the rise, policymakers are coming around to the idea of using gift cards to fight drug use. Click below to listen to the full podcast, read the transcript, and learn more.
    Read full story at Tradeoffs
  • Higgins and Colleagues Publish New UVM Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (TCORS) Study in JAMA Network Open
    This study examined whether e-cigarettes in appealing flavors enhance the decreases in cigarette smoking achieved by reducing the nicotine content of combusted cigarettes to minimally addictive levels.
    Read full story at JAMA Network Open
  • Dr. Klemperer awarded R01 from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
    Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and UVM Cancer Center member Elias Klemperer, Ph.D., and his Co-PI Matthew Carpenter, Ph.D., from the Medical University of South Carolina have received a prestigious R01 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The $3.2 million award will support Klemperer and his team as they conduct a comprehensive study on the dual use of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.
  • 2023–24 University Scholars Lectures Showcase
    Sarah Heil, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, will lecture on "Intersections between Reproductive Health and Substance Use," on April 30, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. in Waterman Memorial Lounge.
    Read full story at UVM Today
  • UVM Researching Nicotine-limiting Standards for Cigarettes and E-cigarettes
    Elias Klemperer, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and UVM Cancer Center member, was recently awarded his first R01 grant to further study nicotine-limiting standards for cigarettes and e-cigarettes among adults in Rhode Island, Vermont, and Northern New York State.
    Read full story at Vermont Business Magazine