Bryce Hruska, Ph.D.

Bryce Hruska, Ph.D. is an expert in the field of psychological stress. His research focuses on better understanding how stress “gets under the skin” to impact physical health with an emphasis on identifying the behavioral, biological, and psychosocial pathways through which stress operates to impact downstream health outcomes. The ultimate goal of this research is to inform public health policies and practices that can promote societal health and well-being.

To date, Dr. Hruska’s work has followed two main lines of interest: (1) traumatic event exposure and the identification of psychosocial and biological risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its co-occurring physical and mental health challenges; and (2) recovery experiences (e.g., vacationing) and their impact on the relationship between occupational stress and cardiovascular health.

Research conducted by Profs Bryce Hruska and Brooks Gump, Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health, was featured in several media outlets, including the New York Post story “Vacations are literally good for your heart”