Recent News
Education
Ph.D. (1991) McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Research Areas
Dr. France is NOT currently accepting new graduate students.
- Pain
- Cardiovascular Psychophysiology
- Blood Donor Motivation
- Health Interventions
Lab
Specializations
- Adult
- Health
Research Interests
Pain Research
Our pain research ranges from basic biopsychosocial influences on experimental pain to interventions for chronic low back pain. We are particularly interested in the role of both vulnerability factors (e.g., pain-related fear, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing) and resilience factors (e.g., pain resilience, self-efficacy, positive affect) and how they influence perception of acute pain in the laboratory as well as chronic pain and related disability in the real world. Recent and ongoing studies include:
- The effect of pain-related fear on pain perception, behavior, and psychosocial adjustment.
- The relationship between pain-related fear and patterns of movement.
- The use of virtual reality technology to restore normal spinal motion.
Blood Donation Research
Given the growing demand for blood products, attracting and retaining blood donors has become a national priority. The ultimate aim of our work in this area is to enhance the donation experience in order to sustain an adequate blood supply for individuals in need of blood products. Recent and ongoing studies include:
- Coping strategies to attenuate donation reactions (e.g., nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness)
- Psychosocial and physiological predictors of donor return behavior (e.g., physical reactions, self-efficacy, satisfaction)
- Post-donation interventions to enhance donor return (e.g., motivational interviewing)