Host Society
The International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM) is intended to serve the needs of all health‑related disciplines concerned with the integration of psychosocial behavioral and biomedical sciences. The ISBM will promote effective international communication between both individuals and national groups to facilitate research, clinical and training activities on a worldwide basis. The ISBM will endeavor to overcome the uneven distribution of scientific and clinical information and the formidable barriers that exist to timely access to existing information sources in most parts of the world. The ISBM will make efforts to establish a world‑wide communication system for technology transfer and information dissemination which will keep pace with this rapidly developing field.
Organizing Committee
Anne H. Berman, Ph.D.
President ISBM
Anne H. Berman, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at Uppsala University, and the current President of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine. She is a clinical psychologist, with a research focus on assessment and low-threshold digital treatment of addiction and mental health issues within a behavioral medicine perspective.
Her overall research goal is to reduce the treatment gap which arises when people with signs and symptoms of problematic addictive behaviors, as well as mental health issues, remain unaware of their inner experiences as problems that can be assessed and treated, and do not seek help. Based at Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet, her research focuses on digital interventions for problematic substance use and for university students with mental health issues. She has authored over 100 publications, including over 100 peer-review articles, 4 books, 11 book chapters as well as over 20 scientific reports. Clinically, she worked as a psychotherapist in addictions for 10 years, followed by four years as director of the Swedish National Helpline for problem gamblers and their family members. Within her longstanding interest in behavioral medicine, she has produced a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on behavioral medicine, KIBEHMEDx, now available without cost on Canvas after an initial launch on edX. She received a Distinguished Career Contribution Award in Behavioral Medicine in 2018.
Michael A. Diefenbach, Ph.D.
Scientific Program Chair
Michael A. Diefenbach, Ph.D., is Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Urology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University and the Feinstein Institutes at Northwell Health, New York. He is Associate Director of the Institute for Health System Science and Director of Behavioral Research in the Departments of Medicine and Urology.
For the past 25 years his research has focused on exploring psychosocial issues among prostate, bladder, and breast cancer patients. This has included the assessment of cognitive and affective factors in reaction to disease and treatment, their influence on treatment decision making, and the exploration of general and disease specific quality of life. Guided by a self-regulation theoretical framework, his research has alternated between the assessment of basic psychological phenomena and the development of applied interventions based on basic findings. His research has been continuously funded by the NCI, the Department of Defense, and the American Cancer Society. Dr. Diefenbach has a long history of service to the behavioral medicine and academic community. He has served on NIH study sections and was the senior associate editor of Translational Behavioral Medicine. He is the primary author of the recently published Handbook of Health Decision Science and for the Society of Behavioral Medicine has been its treasurer/secretary and President.
Ryan E. Rhodes, Ph.D
Local Committee Chair
Ryan E. Rhodes is a Professor in the School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, cross-appointed in the Department of Psychology, and Director of the Behavioral Medicine Laboratory at the University of Victoria, Canada. His primary area of research is the psychology of physical activity with an applied focus on promotion during critical life transitions…
… such as parenthood and early family development. Dr. Rhodes is also one of the world experts on the intention-behavior gap, made popular by New Years resolutions that people struggle to enact every year. His team has created a theoretical model, known as multi-process action control that has been validated with success to assist in turning good intentions into sustainable behavior change through habit and identity formation. Dr. Rhodes has held over 120 grants for this research and he has contributed over 450 publications, 35 book chapters and three books. Dr. Rhodes is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Academy of Behavioral Medicine, American Psychological Association (Distinguished Affiliate), and a College Member of the Royal Society of Canada. He is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Psychology and Health, and Associate Editor of Exercise and Sports Sciences Reviews.
For more information see:
https://www.uvic.ca/research/labs/bmed/
https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/mpac/
ORCID-ID: 0000-0003-0940-9040
Maria Kleinstäuber, Ph.D.
Organizing Committee
Maria Kleinstäuber, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Utah State University and Honorary Associate Professor at University of Otago (New Zealand). She is a licensed clinical psychologist in Germany and New Zealand. Dr. Kleinstäuber received her Diploma and her Ph.D. from Johannes-Gutenberg University (Germany).
She has gained research and clinical experience in various international research institutions such as University of Auckland (New Zealand), Brigham Young University (Provo, USA), and several German universities. Her research focuses on the psychological management of persistent somatic symptoms including chronic pain and tinnitus. She is author of over 100 scholarly works in the field of behavioral medicine and psychosomatics. She is the Secretary of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM) and Associate Editor of the Journal of Psychosomatic Research. In 2013 she received the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cochrane Review Incentive Scheme and in 2016 the ISBM Early Career Award. She has been received funding for her research from multiple sources including the German Research Foundation and Health Research Council New Zealand.
Local Organizing Committee
Ryan E. Rhodes, PhD
Chair
Ryan E. Rhodes is a Professor in the School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, cross-appointed in the Department of Psychology, and Director of the Behavioral Medicine Laboratory at the University of Victoria, Canada. His primary area of research is the psychology of physical activity with an applied focus on promotion during critical life transitions…
Simon L. Bacon, PhD, FTOS, FCCS, FABMR
Dr. Simon Bacon’s research deals with the impact of health behaviours and lifestyle (e.g., physical activity, diet, weight management, stress) on the development and progression of chronic diseases (e.g., obesity, cardiovascular disease, COVID-19). He utilises multiple methodologies including epidemiological, psychophysiological, evidence syntheses, and behavioural trials designs. Currently, Dr. Bacon is the FRQS co-Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Digitial Health for Health Behaviour Change and the CIHR SPOR Chair in Innovative, Patient-Oriented, Behavioural Clinical Trials. He is also a fellow of the Obesity Society, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. In addition to Concordia, Dr. Bacon is co-director of the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (www.mbmc-cmcm.ca), a researcher at the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS-NIM), and co-leads the International Behavioural Trials Network (www.IBTNetwork.org) and the CIHR funded Canadian Behavioural Interventions and Trials Network (ww.CBITN.ca).
Mark R. Beauchamp, PhD
Mark R. Beauchamp Ph.D. is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Drawing from diverse disciplines (that include behavioural medicine, organizational psychology, and education) his research program is concerned with (a) understanding barriers to, and facilitators of, physical activity behaviour across the age spectrum, and (b) developing conceptually-sound evidence-informed interventions that are cost-effective and sustainable. He is a Chartered Psychologist (British Psychological Society) and editor-in-chief for Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (APA).
Rachel Burns, PhD
Dr. Rachel Burns is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University, where she co-directs the Centre for Health Behaviour and Well-Being in Daily Life. Her research examines associations between mental health and physical health outcomes, particularly those related to type 2 diabetes, with an eye towards understanding how these processes unfold over time. A related line of research seeks to identify the social and cognitive processes that shape health behavior. Her work has been funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). She is also an Associate Editor for Applied Psychology: Health and Wellbeing.
Guy Faulkner, PhD
Guy Faulkner is a Professor and Chair in Applied Public Health in the School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia. His research focuses on two inter-related themes: the development and evaluation of physical activity interventions; and physical activity and mental health.
Kim Lavoie, PhD, FCPA, FABMR
Dr. Kim Lavoie is Full Professor in the Dept. of Psychology, at the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Medicine. She is the Co-Director of the Montreal Behavioral Medicine Centre, a fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research and a member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada She holds a number of national and international leadership positions including Co-Lead of the International Behavioral Trials Network and Chair of the Canadian Network for Health Behavior Change. Dr. Lavoie is internationally recognized for her research on chronic disease prevention and the impact of behavioral interventions, such as motivational communication, on health behaviors and chronic disease outcomes. She has held more than $30 million in grant funding and has more than 200 peer reviewed papers and book chapters.
Justin Presseau, PhD
Dr. Justin Presseau is a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Associate Professor in the School of Epidemiology & Public Health and School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. As a behavioural scientist, he leads the Psychology and Health Research Group (PaHRG) and is a core faculty member of the Centre for Implementation Research at the Ottawa Hospital. He holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Aberdeen (UK). His research program operates at the intersection between behavioural science and implementation science, focusing on developing and evaluate interventions to support changing healthcare professional behaviours and health behaviours of patients and the public.
Scott M. Hofer, PhD
Dr. Scott M. Hofer is Professor of Psychology at the University of Victoria where he holds the Harald Mohr, M.D. and Wilhelma Mohr, M.D. Research Chair in Adult Development and Aging and was Director of the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health from 2014-2022. Dr. Hofer’s research has focused on the replicability and generalizability of results from longitudinal studies in the psychological and health sciences, with particular emphasis on integrative data analysis and innovations in study design and measurement.
Program Committee
Michael Diefenbach – Chair
Anne H. Berman
Joost Dekker
Beate Ditzen
Maria Kleinstäuber
Urs Nater
Judith Prins
Ryan Rhodes
Sherri Sheinfeld Gorin
Kerry Sherman
Sharon Simpson
Track Chairs
Pernilla Asenlof
Abigail Batchelder
Anne H Berman
Els Clays
Susan Czajkowski
Sannisha Dale
Rani Elwy
Andrew Geers
Aaron Guest
Deborah Jones Weiss
Rodney Joseph
Hans Knoop
Annette La Greca
Joseph Lau
Jessica McCurley
Barbara Mullan
Urs Nater
Gozde Ozakinci
Keith Petrie
Siobhan Phillips
Chengxuan Qi
Winfried Rief
Rachel Shelton
Johannes Siegrist
Omer van den Bergh
Kavita Vedhara
Jean Yi
Kazuhiro Yoshiuchi