Dr. Austen Anderson is an assistant professor in the Combined Ph.D. Program in Counseling and School Psychology. Dr. Anderson's research focuses on the connections between lifestyle factors (e.g. sleep, physical activity, diet, and social interaction), mental health, and well-being. Of the various lifestyles, he focuses particularly on sleep and engaging in nature. His work emphasizes the collection and analysis of intensive longitudinal (many measurement points per person) to explore how these factors interact in daily life. His upcoming work will explore potential lifestyle interventions for improving mental health and well-being, including personalized interventions based on intensive data collection of clients. Much of this work is carried out with members of the Lifestyle, Environment, and Flourishing (LEAF) Lab.
Dr. Anderson received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami and his B.S. in Psychology from Brigham Young University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans and previously spent four years as an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi.