Health and Biobehavioral Processes

HDFS faculty seek to understand how individuals’ relationships and social experiences are associated with their health and well-being. Researchers examine a variety of physiological processes including salivary hormones, genetic predispositions and daily symptoms associated with people’s behaviors, emotions and experiences. Faculty also investigate how experiences and interactions with important others in individuals’ lives impact mental health and risky health behaviors.

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Maria Arredondo

  • Assistant Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology

I am recruiting graduate students to start Fall 2025 (application deadline - December 1st 2024)

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Aprile Benner

  • Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology

I will not be accepting graduate students for the Fall 2025 cohort.

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Mateo Farina

  • Assistant Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology

I am recruiting graduate students for Fall 2025 (application deadline is Dec. 1).

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Karen Fingerman

  • Professor
  • Research Director, Center on Aging and Population Sciences
  • Director, Texas Aging and Longevity Consortium
  • Sonia Wolf Wilson Regents Administrative Professorship, Holder
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology

I am currently accepting graduate students for fall 2025. But I am no longer studying intergenerational relationships. 

My research currently looks at daily experiences in late life.  We are beginning to research caregivers for Lewy Body Dementia. 

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Sae Hwang Han

  • Assistant Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology
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Deborah Jacobvitz

  • Professor
  • Phyllis L. Richards Endowed Professor in Child Development
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology
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Su Yeong Kim

  • Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences

Dr. Kim is accepting new Ph.D. students for Fall 2025. Application deadline is December 1, 2024.

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Jeffrey Lockman

  • Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology
Building: SEA
Room Number:2.422
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Elma Lorenzo-Blanco

  • Associate Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology

Seeking student research assistants for course credit or on a volunteer basis. See profile for more details.

Building: SEA
Room Number:2.322C
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Lisa Neff

  • Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology
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Nicole Perry

  • Assistant Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology
Building: SEA
Room Number:2.458
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Stephen Russell

  • Professor
  • Director, School of Human Ecology
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology

Amy Johnson McLaughlin Administrative Chair in Human Ecology 
Priscilla Pond Flawn Regents Professor in Child Development
Professor of Population Health

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Gabriela L. Stein

  • Professor
  • Department Chair
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology

Dr. Stein will not taking a student for admission in the 25/26 year