Center Research Affiliates: Examining the Human-Animal Interaction

June 28, 2016

The Center for Human-Animal hosted the inaugural meeting of the Center Research Affiliates at The VCU School of Medicine on June, 23, 2016.

This interdisciplinary group of researchers represents various fields including neuropsychology, social psychology, social work, organizational psychology, business, urology, infectious disease, psychoneuroimmunology, psychiatry, anatomy, neurosurgery, and statistics.

“Many of the affiliates are coinvestigators on past and current Center studies. We are grateful for their continued contributions, as well as the willingness of new affiliates to help us explore fresh areas of inquiry.”, said Dr. Sandra Barker, Center Director.

The group is interested in furthering the goal of increasing knowledge of the benefits of the human-animal interaction, and building upon previous studies in populations such as psychiatric patients, dialysis patients, palliative care patients, pediatric patients, healthcare professionals, healthy adults and college students. With regular affiliate meetings, the Center will provide the structure for these scientists to come together to discuss mutual interests and areas for collaboration.

The members of the group are as follows:

Nital P. Appelbaum, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine, VCU

Randolph T. Barker, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Business, VCU

Sandra B. Barker, Ph.D., Professor, Psychiatry and Chair, Human-Animal Interaction

Gonzalo M. L. Bearman, M.D., MPH, Professor and Chair, Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases, VCU

Jeffrey D. Green, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Psychology, VCU

Lance J. Hampton, M.D., Associate Professor and Chair, Urology, VCU

Janet S. Knisely, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Addictions Psychiatry, VCU

Ashlee R. Loughan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neurology, VCU

Nancy L. McCain, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Nursing, VCU

Gretchen N. McCandless, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Anatomy, VCU

Shelby E. McDonald, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Social Work, VCU

Emmy R. Miller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, VCU

Christine M. Schubert, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mathematics and Statistics, Air Force Institute of Technology

For more information on Center Research visit http://www.chai.vcu.edu/research/.