HomeResearchIntramural ResearchResearch Branches at NHGRISocial & Behavioral Research Branch McBride Research

Colleen McBride, Ph.D. Senior Investigator and Chief Social and Behavioral Research Branch Head Health Promotion Research Section B.A. University of Wisconsin, 1980 M.S. University of Arizona, 1982 Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 1990 (301) 594-6788 (301) 480-2634  cmcbride@mail.nih.gov Building 50, Room 5351 50 South Drive, MSC 8000 Bethesda, MD 20892-8000 Selected Publications

My research interest is to develop innovative public health interventions to promote risk-reducing behavior changes. In a series of randomized controlled trials, I have developed and evaluated a broad range of behavior change interventions including: smoking prevention and cessation, treatment decision-making, dietary change, physical activity and sexually transmitted disease prevention. The common thread to these trials has been the aim to design and evaluate proactively-delivered and self-directed interventions that have the potential to be disseminated at relatively low cost to large and geographically dispersed, at-risk populations. In particular, I have directed my research to exploring ways to maximize the potency of these interventions.

In a recently published review article in Health Education Research Quarterly, I describe the evidence to suggest that timing smoking cessation interventions to take advantage of "teachable moments" (that is, health-related events that naturally heighten motivation for change) could increase the efficacy of behavioral interventions. I suggest from an interdisciplinary perspective what appear to be the key elements of these teachable moments. An area of continuing interest for me is to develop and evaluate behavioral interventions that influence these key elements, namely heighten risk perceptions, emotional impact and promote changes in self-image as a means to motivate adoption of preventive behaviors.

Additionally, I have become increasingly interested in evaluating innovative computer-tailoring strategies to communicate genetic risk. These approaches enable print-based health communications directed to large and diverse populations to be individually personalized in ways that further maximize their impact.

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Last Updated: October 2004