Sheldon Cohen
Encyclopedia
Sheldon Cohen is the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University
. He is the director of the Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity and Disease. He is a member of the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon
and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
.
(Detroit, MI) in 1969 and a Ph.D. in Psychology from New York University
in 1973. He was Assistant to Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon
from 1973 through 1982, and has been a Professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University
(Pittsburgh, PA) since 1982. He was named the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology in 2003. Since 1990 he has also been an Adjunct Professor of Pathology and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
as well as a member of the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
; from 1999 to 2010 he served as a member of the Executive Board of the National Institutes of Health
Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center. In 1992 he served as the interim director of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute's
Behavioral Medicine Program and was the co-director of Pittsburgh's Brain Behavior and Immunity Center from 1990-1999. He was also a member of the core groups of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health and of the Fetzer Institute's
Working Group on Psychosocial Factors in Asthma, and served as chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
's Planning Group on Social Connectedness and Health.
Cohen was elected to the Institute of Medicine
of the National Academy of Science in 2004. He is the recipient of the American Psychological Association's
Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Psychology (2004), the American Psychological Society's (Now Association for Psychological Science
) James McKeen Cattell
Fellow Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Research in Applied Psychology
(2002), the American Psychological Association's
(Division 38) Award for Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology
as a Junior (1987) and Senior (2008) Investigator, the American Psychosomatic Society's Patricia R. Barchas
Award for Significant Contributions to the Study of the Impact of Social Behavior
on Physiology
(2006). He has received the National Institute of Mental Health
's Research Scientist Development (1987–1997), and Senior Scientist Awards (1997–2002). He was an American Psychological Association
Distinguished Lecturer, and a British Psychological Association Senior Fellow Lecturer. His paper entitled "Social Support, Stress and the Buffering Hypothesis" was named a Current Contents
Citation Classic; in 2003 he was named one of Science's Most Cited Authors by the Institute for Scientific Information
.
Cohen's work focuses on the roles of stress
, emotion
s, social support
systems and personality
in health
and well-being. He published pioneering theoretical and empirical work on the effects of aircraft noise
on health and development of schoolchildren, and on the roles of stress
and social network
s in physical and mental health. With colleagues he has developed a number of scales
assessing psychological and social variables including the Perceived Stress Scale
(PSS), the Interpersonal Support Evaluation Scale (ISEL), the Social Network Index (SNI), the Partner Interaction Questionnaire (PIQ) and the Cohen-Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms (CHIPS). Over the last 30 years he has studied the effects of psychological stress
, social support
, and social status
on immunity
and susceptibility to infectious disease
. This work attempts to identify the neuroendocrine, immune, and behavioral pathways that link stress
, personality
, and social network
s to disease susceptibility. He is also involved in studies of the effects of psychosocial factors on the onset and progression of asthma
, and on the effectiveness of social support
interventions in facilitating psychological adjustment and disease progression in women with breast cancer
. His current work focuses on how interpersonal dispositions and behaviors influence immunity
and host resistance to infectious disease
. His research has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine
, the Journal of the American Medical Association
, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute
, and the American Journal of Public Health
in addition to other medical, public health, and sociology journals as well as in numerous psychology journals.
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
. He is the director of the Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity and Disease. He is a member of the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is a medical school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The School of Medicine is also known as Pitt Med, and is ranked as a “top medical school” by U.S. News & World Report in the publication's categories of research and primary care...
.
Background
Cohen received a Bachelor of Philosophy degree from Monteith College, Wayne State UniversityWayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
(Detroit, MI) in 1969 and a Ph.D. in Psychology from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in 1973. He was Assistant to Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
from 1973 through 1982, and has been a Professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
(Pittsburgh, PA) since 1982. He was named the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology in 2003. Since 1990 he has also been an Adjunct Professor of Pathology and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is a medical school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The School of Medicine is also known as Pitt Med, and is ranked as a “top medical school” by U.S. News & World Report in the publication's categories of research and primary care...
as well as a member of the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute is a National Cancer Institute -designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located in the Hillman Cancer Center in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
; from 1999 to 2010 he served as a member of the Executive Board of the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center. In 1992 he served as the interim director of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute's
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute is a National Cancer Institute -designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located in the Hillman Cancer Center in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
Behavioral Medicine Program and was the co-director of Pittsburgh's Brain Behavior and Immunity Center from 1990-1999. He was also a member of the core groups of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Based in Chicago but supporting non-profit organizations that work in 60 countries, MacArthur has awarded more than US$4 billion since its inception in 1978...
Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health and of the Fetzer Institute's
John Fetzer
John Earl Fetzer was a radio and television executive who was best known as the owner of the Detroit Tigers from 1961 through the early 1980s.- Biography :...
Working Group on Psychosocial Factors in Asthma, and served as chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the United States' largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care; it is based in Princeton, New Jersey. The foundation's mission is to improve the health and health care of all Americans...
's Planning Group on Social Connectedness and Health.
Cohen was elected to the Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
of the National Academy of Science in 2004. He is the recipient of the American Psychological Association's
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Psychology (2004), the American Psychological Society's (Now Association for Psychological Science
Association for Psychological Science
The Association for Psychological Science , previously the American Psychological Society, is a non-profit international organization whose mission is to promote, protect, and advance the interests of scientifically oriented psychology in research, application, teaching, and the improvement of...
) James McKeen Cattell
James McKeen Cattell
James McKeen Cattell , American psychologist, was the first professor of psychology in the United States at the University of Pennsylvania and long-time editor and publisher of scientific journals and publications, most notably the journal Science...
Fellow Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Research in Applied Psychology
Applied psychology
The basic premise of applied psychology is the use of psychological principles and theories to overcome problems in other areas, such as mental health, business management, education, health, product design, ergonomics, and law...
(2002), the American Psychological Association's
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
(Division 38) Award for Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology
Health psychology
Health psychology is concerned with understanding how biological, psychological, environmental, and cultural factors are involved in physical health and illness. Health psychologists work alongside other medical professionals in clinical settings, work on behavior change in public health promotion,...
as a Junior (1987) and Senior (2008) Investigator, the American Psychosomatic Society's Patricia R. Barchas
Patricia Barchas
Patricia Barchas was a scholar committed to the study of the interaction of social behavior and physiological processes. She was a pioneer in the study of brain electrical activity and hormonal function in social processes, such as the development of status hierarchies in small social...
Award for Significant Contributions to the Study of the Impact of Social Behavior
Social behavior
In physics, physiology and sociology, social behavior is behavior directed towards society, or taking place between, members of the same species. Behavior such as predation which involves members of different species is not social...
on Physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
(2006). He has received the National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health...
's Research Scientist Development (1987–1997), and Senior Scientist Awards (1997–2002). He was an American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
Distinguished Lecturer, and a British Psychological Association Senior Fellow Lecturer. His paper entitled "Social Support, Stress and the Buffering Hypothesis" was named a Current Contents
Current Contents
Current Contents is a rapid alerting service database from the Institute for Scientific Information, now part of Thomson Reuters, that is published online and in several different printed subject sections.-History:...
Citation Classic; in 2003 he was named one of Science's Most Cited Authors by the Institute for Scientific Information
Institute for Scientific Information
The Institute for Scientific Information was founded by Eugene Garfield in 1960. It was acquired by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare in 1992, became known as Thomson ISI and now is part of the Healthcare & Science business of the multi-billion dollar Thomson Reuters Corporation.ISI offered...
.
Cohen's work focuses on the roles of stress
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
, emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
s, social support
Social support
Social support can be defined and measured in many ways. It can loosely be defined as feeling that one is cared for by and has assistance available from other people and that one is part of a supportive social network...
systems and personality
Personality psychology
Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and individual differences. Its areas of focus include:* Constructing a coherent picture of the individual and his or her major psychological processes...
in health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and well-being. He published pioneering theoretical and empirical work on the effects of aircraft noise
Aircraft noise
Aircraft noise is noise pollution produced by any aircraft or its components, during various phases of a flight: on the ground while parked such as auxiliary power units, while taxiing, on run-up from propeller and jet exhaust, during take off, underneath and lateral to departure and arrival paths,...
on health and development of schoolchildren, and on the roles of stress
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
and social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
s in physical and mental health. With colleagues he has developed a number of scales
Psychological testing
Psychological testing is a field characterized by the use of samples of behavior in order to assess psychological construct, such as cognitive and emotional functioning, about a given individual. The technical term for the science behind psychological testing is psychometrics...
assessing psychological and social variables including the Perceived Stress Scale
Perceived Stress Scale
The Perceived Stress Scale was developed to measure of the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. Psychological stress has been defined as the extent to which persons perceive that their demands exceed their ability to cope.The PSS was published in 1983, and has...
(PSS), the Interpersonal Support Evaluation Scale (ISEL), the Social Network Index (SNI), the Partner Interaction Questionnaire (PIQ) and the Cohen-Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms (CHIPS). Over the last 30 years he has studied the effects of psychological stress
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
, social support
Social support
Social support can be defined and measured in many ways. It can loosely be defined as feeling that one is cared for by and has assistance available from other people and that one is part of a supportive social network...
, and social status
Social status
In sociology or anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in society . It may also refer to a rank or position that one holds in a group, for example son or daughter, playmate, pupil, etc....
on immunity
Immunity (medical)
Immunity is a biological term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. Immunity involves both specific and non-specific components. The non-specific components act either as barriers or as eliminators of wide...
and susceptibility to infectious disease
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
. This work attempts to identify the neuroendocrine, immune, and behavioral pathways that link stress
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
, personality
Personality psychology
Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and individual differences. Its areas of focus include:* Constructing a coherent picture of the individual and his or her major psychological processes...
, and social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
s to disease susceptibility. He is also involved in studies of the effects of psychosocial factors on the onset and progression of asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, and on the effectiveness of social support
Social support
Social support can be defined and measured in many ways. It can loosely be defined as feeling that one is cared for by and has assistance available from other people and that one is part of a supportive social network...
interventions in facilitating psychological adjustment and disease progression in women with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. His current work focuses on how interpersonal dispositions and behaviors influence immunity
Immunity (medical)
Immunity is a biological term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. Immunity involves both specific and non-specific components. The non-specific components act either as barriers or as eliminators of wide...
and host resistance to infectious disease
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
. His research has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine
New England Journal of Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicine is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It describes itself as the oldest continuously published medical journal in the world.-History:...
, the Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
JNCI Monographs is indexed and abstracted in-External links:***...
, and the American Journal of Public Health
American Journal of Public Health
The American Journal of Public Health is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Public Health Association covering health policy and public health. The journal was established in 1911 and its stated mission is "to advance public health research, policy, practice, and...
in addition to other medical, public health, and sociology journals as well as in numerous psychology journals.
Awards and Memberships
- 1987: American Psychological Association's (Division 38) Junior Investigator Award for Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology
- 2002: American Psychological Society's (Now Association for Psychological ScienceAssociation for Psychological ScienceThe Association for Psychological Science , previously the American Psychological Society, is a non-profit international organization whose mission is to promote, protect, and advance the interests of scientifically oriented psychology in research, application, teaching, and the improvement of...
) James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Research in Applied Psychology http://www.psychologicalscience.org/members/awards/cohen.html - 2003-present: Highly Cited Author, ISI (Institute for Scientific Information)
- 2004-present: Member, IOM (Institute of Medicine)
- 2004: American Psychological Association, Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Psychology http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2003/D/20031831.html
- 2006: American Psychosomatic Society's Patricia R. Barchas Award for Significant Contributions to the Study of the Impact of Social Behavior on Physiology
- 2008: American Psychological Association's (Division 38) Senior Investigator Award for Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology
- 1996-2010: Member, Core Group John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Network on Social Economic Status and Health.