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Social Psychoneuroimmunology Laboratory

Who gains or loses status and why? How do these changes or perceived changes in status impact stress and health? The CU Boulder Social Psychoneuroimmunology* Lab (SPNIL) broadly focuses on behavior, stress, and health outcomes within social hierarchies. Using an approach that combines social endocrine and psychoneuroimmunology methodology, we also examine biological determinants of status-seeking social behavior with a particular emphasis on causal mechanisms linking biology to behavior. Ultimately, SPNIL research aims to uncover psychosocial and biological determinants of resilience to social disparities in stress and health.

*The “endocrine” is silent: Historically, the field of psychoneuroimmunology has maintained a strong focus on hormones. In fact, the “neuro” fragment in psychoneuroimmunology represents the word “neuroendocrine.” Alas, “psychoneuroendoimmunology” is a bit of a mouthful.