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

Stephen T. Higgins, PhD Receives SABA Award for Scientific Translation

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 selected by the Society of the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) as the recipient of the 2022 SABA Award for Scientific Translation.

Stephen Higgins, PhD, director of the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, professor, and vice chair of psychiatry has been selected by the Society of the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) as the recipient of the 2022 SABA Award for Scientific Translation. This award recognizes Dr. Higgins’ work using behavior science principles and methods to address the relationship between drug use and addiction with other maladaptive behaviors and outcomes. The notification letter from SABA CEO Maria Malott, PhD, stated “your work in the science of drug dependence has made you not only a leader, but indeed a standard-bearer in this area. Your impact as a researcher has been felt in the field of behavior analysis and beyond, via your hundreds of publications, multiple research grants, and many leadership and editorial positions.”

The SABA Award for Scientific Translation is given in one of the following categories: (1) impact of science on application, (2) technology transfer, or (3) social impact. Those recommended in the impact of science on application category should demonstrate experimental or theoretical innovations in behavior analysis that have had significant impact on applications. Past award winners include Warren Bickel, PhD, George Bigelow, PhD, and most recently, Allen Neuringer, PhD.