My research interests involve applying evolutionary biology to the study of social behavior in humans. I am especially interested in the protective effects of close relationships, which have been shown to reduce mortality risk and benefit mental health and well-being. Through the lens of evolutionary biology, these health benefits appear to be attributable, at least in part, to the contribution we make to our relationship partners—i.e., helping behavior is reliably associated with longevity, reduced morbidity, reduced depression, and improved well-being. With several colleagues and students, I have been studying the neurohormonal mediators (e.g., oxytocin and progesterone) and moderators of these effects (e.g., attachment style, caregiver status). I am very interested in understanding how the neural circuitry that motivates helping loved ones protects individuals against environmental effects on stress and health.

As a methodology, I am most interested in “full circle” social psychology, a method and practice developed by Professor Robert Cialdini, who advocated for the importance of translating discoveries made in the laboratory to the real world, so that they can be used as solutions to social problems. Full circle social psychology means to begin by observing naturally occurring phenomena and developing research questions that can be taken into the laboratory for experimentation. Then, the implications of experimental “answers” are brought back into the real world and observed for theoretical and/or methodological refinement, which is once again brought back to the laboratory for testing. This process repeats and is iterative, building toward the creation of robust solutions for social problems.