Leah Hibel

Leah Hibel is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of California, Davis, directing the Hibel Lab and leading the California Babies Project. Her research examines physiological and relational dynamics in families, with emphasis on underserved populations including rural communities, families in poverty, African American and Hispanic families, and maltreated children.

Her primary research interests focus on stress physiology mechanisms linking family stress to child outcomes, mother-child physiological co-regulation, parenting stress impacts, and lactation physiology. She investigates how adverse socioeconomic conditions disrupt family functioning through stress physiology pathways, particularly examining cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase biomarkers in mother-child dyads across diverse cultural contexts.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent methodological innovation in longitudinal dyadic designs, with growing emphasis on pandemic impacts and ecological validity. Her work spans developmental psychobiology, clinical family psychology, and stress physiology, increasingly incorporating cultural diversity considerations in stress measurement and intervention development.

Dr. Hibel secured $24,375 through UC Davis' CRAFT program for her project on buffers to COVID-19 mental health impacts. She actively mentors graduate students evidenced by numerous student-coauthored publications, and collaborates with community agencies serving foster families, migrant children, and populations experiencing poverty.

The Hibel Lab conducts the California Babies Project investigating family stress physiology interactions during early childhood development, utilizing both laboratory and ecologically valid naturalistic assessment methods.