About
Christine Phillips is a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and affiliated with the Institute for Engaged Aging at Clemson University. She earned her Ph.D. in Aging Studies at the University of South Florida and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Pennsylvania State University and Arizona State University. Phillips’ research focuses on identifying behaviors that preserve health and functional abilities across the lifespan and encourage adoption of and adherence to health-promoting behaviors.
Visit Dr. Phillips' Faculty Profile.
How their research is transforming health care
The U.S. is on the brink of a surge in the population of adults age 65 and older. There is also a growing number of people living with chronic disease, and a decreasing the amount of working-age adults, all of which contribute to the risk of health care demand exceeding the supply. Phillips’ work seeks to identify lifestyle behaviors and behavioral interventions that effectively preserve health and functional abilities for as long as possible. For example, her work has shown that certain types of cognitive training help older adults maintain driving status and attenuate declines in physical functioning across ten years. Her work focuses on understanding individual and environmental factors that create barriers against adopting and adhering to health-promoting behaviors to combat these low rates. This research could reduce the need for specialized care services in older adulthood through maintained health and functional independence.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Faculty Scholar, Aging, health behaviors, exercise, physical activity, functional abilities, vulnerable populations, mobile health, socio-ecological model, longitudinal modeling, brain health, public health
