The Science of Stress & Health

The Lab at NDSU

Setting up a virtual reality psychophysiology session in the lab. Our lab is dedicated to examining interactions among the mind, body, and environment as they pertain to health and health-related outcomes. Our primary focus is on how stress affects health. We apply social psychological methods to help us determine who…Continue reading “The Lab at NDSU”

23Oct 202623 Oct 2026

A research assistant in a white lab coat shows a VR headset to a seated participant while a second research assistant in a lab coat smiles from the computer station.

Join Our Lab: Undergraduate Research Assistants Wanted for Spring 2027

Curious about how stress affects the body, and what that means for our health? Dr. Hilmert’s Health Psychology lab is…

Featured

Psychology Major Feature

NDSU University Relations produced a short video about the psychology major at NDSU featuring our lab. One of our excellent…

Featured

Mind, Body, & Baby Lab

The Mind, Body & Baby (MBB) Lab studies how stress during pregnancy relates to maternal physiology, fetal growth, and birth…

From the Lab…

The Lab is open once again.

8 Nov 202123 Oct 2026

This week marks the return of in-person data collection for our lab since NDSU began remote instruction in March of 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has…

From the Lab…

Welcome Fall 2021

30 Aug 202123 Oct 2026

Research in the Mind Body and Baby Lab, and Stress Psychophysiology & Health Labs will resume this fall. We are looking for motivated undergraduates to assist in running research projects Fall Semester…

News

Researchers find flooding stress impacts unborn children

4 Mar 20204 Mar 2020

03/03/2020 Research College of Science and Mathematics NDSU researchers have discovered differences in child development based on how close mothers are to flooding during their pregnancies. The new study…

From the Lab…

New Paper Published!

27 Jan 202023 Oct 2026

This month, the lab co-authored an important paper published in Pychoneuroendocrinology. The paper, "Prenatal traumatic stress and offspring hair cortisol concentration: A nine year follow up to the Red River flood…

Meritorious Abstract Award

Congratulations Lab! Our abstract regarding the VR study, 'Are Virtual Stressors a Reality?' was selected for a Meritorious Abstract Award by the Society of Behavioral Medicine. We look forward to…

From the Lab…

Congratulations to our Graduating Research Assistants!

10 Dec 201923 Oct 2026

Congratulations to Emily Brandt (not pictured), Caiden Rheault, and Garrett Byron who are graduating this December. Their dedication and hard work will be missed!