Biography
Lisa Christian, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health and a member of the Institute of Brain, Behavior, and Immunology at the OSU Wexner Medical Center. She directs the Stress, Health, and Aging Lab, which investigates how chronic stress, mood and anxiety disorders, and sleep disturbance interact bidirectionally with immune and neuroendocrine processes to influence physical health, mental health, and aging across the lifespan. Using psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) approaches, her research examines how stress “gets under the skin” among caregivers of spouses with dementia, individuals coping with cancer, perinatal women, and people experiencing chronic stress or discrimination related to race and ethnicity, sexual minority status, or financial strain. Her research seeks to identify the biological and behavioral pathways through which stress influences health and aging, with the ultimate goal of reducing health disparities and informing targeted behavioral interventions. Dr. Christian’s research has been supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).
Education and Training
- PhD in Clinical Health Psychology, The Ohio State University
- Clinical internship, University of Florida Health Science Center