![Allison Farrell](https://miamioh.edu/profiles/ehs/bergen-center/_images/allison-farrell400x400.jpg)
Allison Farrell, Ph.D.
Links
I take a biopsychosocial approach to understand how close relationships, particularly parent-child and romantic relationships, affect stress and physical health (e.g., the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and inflammatory processes). Through multi-method studies utilizing observational, self-report, and biological measures, I aim to uncover how close relationships get “under the skin” and stay with us throughout our lifespans in order to inform translational research. Specifically, my work 1) tests theoretically-proposed mechanisms of relationship-health links, such as emotion and attachment orientations, to determine whether these may be good targets for future interventions, and 2) examines the effects of race and SES (and the stressors associated with them) on relationship functioning and health to explore whether maintaining high quality relationships in the face of uncertainty and discrimination can help individuals build resources for coping, be less reactive to stress, and live healthier lives.
MARSH Lab
Dr. Farrell leads the Mechanisms Affecting Relationships, Stress, & Health