Penn State Biobehavioral Health

05/29/2026

With the U.S. recently reclassifying cannabis as a less dangerous substance, Emily Ansell, professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State, explained the documented risks associated with cannabis use.

Read her Q&A.

With the U.S. recently reclassifying cannabis as a less dangerous substance, Emily Ansell, professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State, explained the documented risks associated with cannabis use.

05/21/2026

Meet Shannon 👋, who graduated last week (congrats!) with a major in biobehavioral health and a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation. As a student, Shannon served as a learning partner with the BBH Student Center and an undergraduate teaching intern (UGTI).

As a learning partner, she provided academic support and tutoring to students in core BBH courses, including BBH 310: Research Strategies for Studying Biobehavioral Health and BBH 440: Principles of Epidemiology. She also assisted in planning and coordinating events in the center to foster community and learning for BBH students. As a UGTI, she further assisted students in understanding course content and supported the instructor with grading and feedback on assignments.

Shannon also served as a philanthropy chair and professional mentor in a business fraternity and worked at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.

"These experiences have been meaningful to me because they have helped me grow not only as a student, but also as an individual and a professional. I've truly enjoyed supporting others and engaging with the BBH community on campus. I'm deeply grateful for the opportunities I've had to be involved at Penn State, and I know I will carry these experiences with me long after graduation."

05/19/2026

Genetic tests of how quickly people age are useful to researchers who want to understand what makes people age faster or slower.

Unfortunately, these tests are not accurate at the individual level, which means that a test of biological or epigenetic age is not useful to understanding your health.

Idan Shalev, associate professor of biobehavioral health, recently discussed the use of epigenetic aging tests in an article for The Conversation US.

https://theconversation.com/biological-age-tests-reveal-what-slows-or-hastens-aging-but-theyre-useful-only-for-researchers-not-consumers-275974

05/12/2026

White women with high genetic risk for obesity regained weight around two times faster than those with lower genetic risk for obesity, according to new study.

“Obesity is stigmatized and often associated with laziness. That is a stubborn myth. This study demonstrated one way that genetics influence a person’s ability to manage their weight — by affecting how quickly they regain pounds after moderate weight loss.”

— Harold Lee, lead author of the study and assistant professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State

Read more: https://www.psu.edu/news/health-and-human-development/story/postmenopausal-white-women-genetic-risk-regain-weight-two-times?utm_account=Penn+State+Biobehavioral+Health&utm_campaign=&utm_content=1778597281&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

05/10/2026

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! For the glory 💙🤍

05/09/2026

Kiera Papa will serve as the biobehavioral health student marshal for spring 2026 commencement.

She was a member of Schreyer Medical Team and Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national health preprofessional honor society. Papa also worked in the Water, Health, and Nutrition Lab as an undergraduate researcher and with Kesem at Penn State in a variety of roles, including counselor and outreach coordinator.

Congrats, Kiera!

05/07/2026

Congratulations to Rhoda Moise, a 2015 graduate of biobehavioral health, who was recently honored with the prestigious Alumni Achievement Award from the Penn State Alumni Association.

“One of the reasons I chose to attend Penn State was the strength and expanse of its alumni network. To be honored for my achievement as a member of that network is very gratifying, and I am grateful for the folks who have been with me on my journey — mentors and advisers, peers, and all who have walked with me in big and small ways.”

Moise is the founder of Dr. Rho Wellness, a community designed to empower individuals and communities to heal, grow, and thrive.

05/01/2026

Taylor Turley, a graduate of biobehavioral health, will serve as the Penn State NROTC Unit student marshal for spring 2026 commencement.

While at Penn State, she served as the president of Penn State THON Operation Blue and Gold and worked with Feed the Valley PSU. After graduation, she will be commissioned into the United States Navy and attend flight school to become a Naval Aviator.

Congrats, Taylor!

04/27/2026

Congratulations to Asher Rosinger, who received the 2026 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award as part of Penn State's yearly faculty and staff awards recognition. The award recognizes faculty who have contributed significantly to the advancement of the international mission of the University.

Rosinger works to understand how humans around the world meet their water needs and how those implications impact their health and well-being. He works on two field sites, one in Beni, Bolivia and the other in northern Kenya, near Lake Turkana, where he researches water insecurity, hydration, nutrition and environmental stressors.

https://www.psu.edu/news/faculty-and-staff/story/rosinger-named-recipient-kopp-international-achievement-award?utm_account=Penn+State+Biobehavioral+Health&utm_campaign=&utm_content=1777302905&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

04/23/2026

Come hear about research led by faculty and students in biobehavioral health!

🔬 9th Annual Founder's Endowment for Excellence and Innovation Research Day
📅 Friday, May 1
⏰ 1-5 p.m.
📍 Biobehavioral Health and Nursing Sciences buildings

The event will feature graduate student talks and award recognition, a poster session with light refreshments, and a keynote presentation, "How to Measure How Fast We Are Aging While We Are Still Healthy: Longitudinal Epigenetic Aging Clocks."