President's Message: Integrating Scientific Perspectives to Advance Discovery and Innovation

Christine Hunter, PhD, ABPP, SBM President

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the 2026 SBM Annual Meeting in Chicago in April. The theme for the meeting is “Integrating Scientific Perspectives to Advance Discovery and Innovation.” Inclusion of behavioral medicine evidence into heath policy, healthcare, and public health is crucial to addressing the most pressing and intractable health challenges of our time. I believe that elevating the importance of integrating scientific perspectives in how we conduct research will allow us to more rapidly develop effective, adaptable, and sustainable health solutions.

Increasing the pace at which we advance discovery and health impact, requires inclusion of multiple methods and a wide range of perspectives. The goal of integrating scientific perspectives has been a cornerstone issue across my career, which is why it was important to me that it was central to the meeting theme. For me, integrating scientific perspectives is not about assimilating or homogenizing science. It is about being inclusive and not reductive as we strive toward a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. To gain a more comprehensive picture of what works for whom and why we must engage multiple lenses as well as consider multiple levels of influence. We need to think carefully about what processes and methods enhance or detract from creating integrated research questions. To do all of this well, we must also maintain a posture of intense curiosity and deep humility, which can be challenging when caught up in the routine business of work life. I aim for this posture and succeed some of the time but miss the mark more often than I would like.

There are many paths to achieving a more integrated scientific enterprise and I certainly don’t have all the answers. However, there are a few areas that I think are important and want to share:

Research that Embraces Complexity

To be most applicable and useful, our research must reflect the complexity of the individuals/communities, health conditions, practitioners, and environments they exist in. Some examples include more scientific emphasis on:

• Enhancing Bi-Directional Translation: Thinking about models of research that support 1) fundamental science that is more informed by real-world implementation and need (use-inspired basic science) and 2) applied science that incorporates what we learn about the why and how things work from fundamental science.
• Designing for Implementation: Intervention development and testing (at any level of influence from the individual to structural/policy or multi-level) that better incorporates the implementation landscape from the beginning. For example, early intervention development and testing that incorporates the needs of the intended end users (patients, practitioners, and organizations) of the healthcare or public health intervention.
• Considering Multiple Levels of Influence: We need research and practice that better account for and address multiple levels of influence driving health outcomes and well-being. Behavioral medicine is practiced in a complex and “noisy” environment, so we need robust interventions that are effective for a wide range of individuals and settings. This includes developing common interventions that work for many as well as interventions that are effectively and equitably tailored to match specific needs.

Greater Interdisciplinary Team Science and Practice

A strength of SBM is its interdisciplinary membership. Yet even at SBM, disease and disciplinary silos remain a challenge. I would like us to think about how we conduct research and reward scientific output so that we emphasize interdisciplinary team science and cross-topic/cross-disease research and practice.

A Wider Range of Partners and Perspectives

To deliver effective, sustainable, and multilevel health solutions requires engagement with a range of end users. This will help us build more relevant evidence and more rapidly turn it into action. With an emphasis on engaging, listening, and learning, we can build trust and create more robust and meaningful solutions.

Additionally, I am pleased to note that one of the three pillars outlined in SBM’s new 2026-28 Strategic Framework is the “Integration of Behavioral Medicine.” As a part of this emphasis, we will be focusing on opportunities for SBM and its members to lead and advocate for the integration of behavioral, social, biological, and environmental factors in research and practice, to enhance health and well-being. It is exciting to me that integration of behavioral medicine will be emphasized in our strategic focus over the next 3 years.

I know these are challenging times for health researchers and practitioners. I am humbled by the unwavering commitment of SBM members. I see the organization and its members staying focused on standing up for science while still striving to enhance how we approach practice, research, and policy work so that we have the greatest impact. I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting and having lively discussions about the future of behavioral medicine research and practice.