Dr. Standen’s research examines the facilitators of and barriers to health behavior change, particularly in the areas of eating, physical activity, and weight. She develops and evaluates intervention strategies designed to support people in making desired changes (e.g., reducing sugar intake, increasing physical activity, losing weight), while also aiming to minimize unintended consequences such as weight stigma and stress. She examines the impact of these strategies across a variety of settings, including mobile health applications (e.g., calorie-tracking apps), workplaces, and clinical interactions between patients and healthcare professionals.

As the Director of the SWEL lab, Dr. Standen is recruiting Ph.D. students interested in weight-related interventions, in particular: testing strategies to make them more health-promoting and less stigmatizing to higher-weight people.