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:

November 20:
Joseph McClernon, PhD
Duke University

December 18:
Hugh Garavan, PhD
University of Vermont

Visit the Center on Rural Addiction

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VCBH Career Opportunities

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
Click here for more information.

VCBH News

Higgins Named Recipient of 2022 CPDD Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award

May 16, 2022 by Nicole Twohig

Stephen Higgins, PhD, director of the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, professor, and vice chair of psychiatry has been named the recipient of the 2022 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award, their career achievement award.

Stephen Higgins, PhD, director of the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, professor, and vice chair of psychiatry has been named the recipient of the 2022 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award, their career achievement award. 

CPDD, founded in 1929 and formerly known as the Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence, is the longest standing group in the United States addressing problems of drug dependence and abuse. Dr. Higgins will be recognized with the award and present a plenary talk, titled “Leveraging the Reinforcement Process to Promote Health: Applications to Substance Use Disorders and Other Chronic Conditions,” on June 12 during the CPDD 84th Annual Scientific Meeting.

The Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award was established in memory of one of the pioneers in the field of drug dependence following his death in 1973. The award acknowledges outstanding research efforts that have advanced knowledge of drug dependence. Previous award winners include Maxine Stitzer, PhD, Nora Volkow, MD, and Theodore Cicero, PhD.