Susannah Moore ’08, assistant professor of psychology at Eastern Mennonite University, will give the spring semester’s third Suter Science Seminar, “From Fitness Training to Health Psychology: My Journey Back to EMU,” on Wednesday, March 2, at 4 p.m.
The sessions are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. They will be live streamed on the EMU Facebook Page. The campus community is invited to attend the seminars in person in room 106 of the Suter Science Center.
Moore’s research explores the “long-term health risks associated with childhood maltreatment and health behaviors that may help to reduce these risks,” Moore says. “Currently in my lab, we are interested in discovering early health markers that may be due to exposure from childhood stress, and how various behaviors, such as physical activity, can improve overall health.”
The path of Moore’s research has diverged from physical fitness itself to the importance of “mind and body connection in relation to being physically active and healthy: in particular, how early stressful life experiences shape our pathways of health,” Moore says. “The more we understand, the more we can create opportunities for prevention and intervention.”
Moore completed her undergraduate degree from EMU and her masters and PhD from the University of Northern Colorado.
Named in honor of long-time EMU biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. EMU hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.