The Applied Behavioral Biology Unit (ABBU), directed by Dr. Pete Roma, and the forthcoming Joseph V. Brady Behavioral Sciences Center focus on experimental investigations of environmental, psychosocial, and biological factors relevant to behavioral health and operational performance in individuals and groups.
The ABBU is supported primarily by a grant from NASA’s National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), and focuses on task performance, psychosocial adaptation, communication, and group cohesion. Recent studies have also explored the interactions between circadian phase, extended workload, and task autonomy on performance, stress physiology, and cooperative behavior in small work groups.