David Sbarra

David Sbarra serves as Professor and EOS Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Psychology at the University of Arizona's Department of Psychology, where he directs the Laboratory for Social Connectedness & Health (LSCH). His research examines the biopsychosocial mechanisms linking social relationships to health outcomes, with particular focus on how divorce, marital separation, and loneliness function as risk pathways for poor health.

Dr. Sbarra's academic credentials include:

• B.S. in Psychology from Cornell University (1996)
• Clinical Internship at University of Wisconsin Department of Psychiatry
• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Virginia (2004)

His research program centers on social relationships and health, stress physiology, and genetically-informed methodologies including twin studies, polygenic risk scores, and Mendelian Randomization. The Laboratory for Social Connectedness & Health investigates how high-quality relationships promote health resilience while relationship disruptions create vulnerability, emphasizing causal inference through advanced quantitative methods and open science practices.

Recent publications reveal a pronounced shift toward establishing causal relationships in the social connection-health field, with heavy utilization of genetically-informed designs and multi-method approaches. His 2024-2025 work demonstrates particular innovation in applying Mendelian Randomization to loneliness-depression pathways, examining cardiovascular impacts of marital separation, and developing novel measures for couple therapy processes.

Dr. Sbarra holds the prestigious EOS Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Psychology, recognizing his significant contributions to understanding social determinants of health. His co-authored work in the American Psychologist has helped establish social connection as a critical public health priority.

While specific advising details aren't documented in available sources, his laboratory direction and course instruction (including PSY 383 Health Psychology and clinical practica) indicate active mentorship of graduate students. His research program likely operates through multiple federally funded grants supporting genetically-informed longitudinal studies.

The Laboratory for Social Connectedness & Health employs diverse methodologies including daily diary assessments, physiological monitoring, fMRI, and genetically-informed designs to examine how social connection operates as a fundamental health determinant across the lifespan. Current projects focus on causal mechanisms linking relationship quality to biological aging, intervention development for attachment security, and public health applications of social connection research.