معرفی
Heather Hoffmann is the Robert M. & Katherine Arnold Seeley Distinguished Professor and Chair of Psychology at Knox College, where she has served since 1987. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from SUNY Binghamton (1989), an M.A. from SUNY Binghamton (1986), and a B.A. from Lafayette College (1983). Her research focuses on human sexual psychophysiology, including the origins of sexual attraction and arousal, the role of learning processes and alcohol in compulsivity, and olfactory sexual arousal contagion. She also leads an animal lab studying neurochemical correlates of behavior in rats. Her work involves interdisciplinary collaboration with biology, biochemistry, and chemistry departments.
Education:
- Ph.D., Psychology, State University of New York-Binghamton, 1989
- M.A., Psychology, State University of New York-Binghamton, 1986
- B.A., Psychology, Lafayette College, 1983
Research Interests: Hoffmann explores human sexual psychophysiology, including learning processes influencing sexual behavior, the impact of alcohol on sexual risk-taking, and olfactory signals of arousal. Her animal studies investigate neurochemical mechanisms of learning and drug effects on behavior. Key themes include classical conditioning, sexual orientation development, and neurochemical correlates of behavior.
Grants & Awards:
- Philip Green Wright - Lombard Prize for Distinguished Teaching (2017, 1991)
- NIH R21 Grant (2009-2011)
- Knox Faculty Research Grant (2014)
- President of the International Academy of Sex Research (2015-2016)
- Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute
Advising & Grants: Hoffmann advises Sigma Chi Fraternity and self-designed majors. Her lab engages students in diverse projects, including drug behavior studies and neurochemical analyses. She has collaborated on nutriceutical trials for cognitive impairment and presented widely on sexual arousal, conditioning, and neuroscience.
Labs & Teams: Leads a multidisciplinary lab at Knox, integrating psychology, neuroscience, and biology. Collaborates with Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute and institutions like the University of Massachusetts. Her work emphasizes translational research between animal models and human behavior.
