Allison E. Gaffey, PhD, received the 2023 Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research (ABMR) Award for Early-Stage Investigators, which is bestowed on exceptional early career scientists.
Now in its third year, the ABMR Early-Stage Investigator Program emphasizes peer-support and leadership development. The program includes funding to attend the 2023 ABMR Annual Meeting June 8 to 12, 2023 in Banff, Alberta, and a full-day mentorship workshop titled “Fostering Your Leadership Journey and Growing Your Network,” led by ABMR president-elect Susan Everson-Rose, PhD, MPH, and Martica Hall, PhD.
Gaffey is an Instructor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine Section of Cardiovascular Medicine and a clinician investigator in cardiovascular medicine and women's health at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Trained in clinical psychology, her research focuses on cardiovascular behavioral medicine or how nontraditional risk factors impact cardiac and vascular health, including stress, sleep, trauma, and the social determinants of health, including associations specific to women vs. men. For example, her recent meta-analysis demonstrated that self-reported psychological distress was associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Gaffey also received the 2021 Research Recognition Award from the American Heart Association Council on Hypertension Trainee Advocacy Committee for her analysis of sexual assault or harassment on post-9/11 men and women veterans. Gaffey was also selected for a 2-year Career Development Award from VISN 1 of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research & Development.