Jeannette R. Ickovics

My main research interests focus on increasing understanding of the determinants and consequences of health behaviors and health outcomes. My current research has been directed toward a series of community-based, longitudinal studies in the realm of HIV/AIDS. My research team and I have been actively involved in several ongoing studies, including: (1) identifying factors that influence recruitment, adherence and retention in AIDS clinical trails; (2) identifying the behavioral and psychological consequences of HIV counseling and testing for women; (3) diasaggregating the effects of race and social class on access to health care, health behaviors and health outcomes; and (4) other studies examining prevention interventions, high-risk sexual behavior, access to health care, and health outcomes for persons with HIV.

A new area within health psychology that we are beginning to develop is the study of “psychological resilience.” We define resilience as the effective mobilization of individual and social resources in response to a health challenge. We will begin to explore the study of resilience theoretically, methodologically and empirically in the area of HIV disease as well as other health threats.

Additional interests include public policy and medical education reform. Having spent five years in Washington DC (and working on Capital Hill), I have an interest in the use of social science to inform public policy. For example, access to health care and inclusion in health research–particularly among those traditionally under-represented (such as women and minorities)–is an important area for further study and policy formulation.

Finally, I am currently developing medical school curricula to integrate social and behavioral sciences into medical education at Yale.