Elise RICE

Biography

Dr. Elise Rice is a program director in the Individual Behavioral Processes Branch within the Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Her Community and Behavioral Intervention Development program focuses on the systematic development, testing, and implementation of individual and community-based interventions to promote health across the life course, with an emphasis on understanding mechanistic processes and moderating factors. Prior to joining the NIA, Dr. Rice served as a program director in the Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Branch at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, where she was a representative on the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee and other trans-NIH efforts. She continues to co-lead the NIH Health Behavior Theories Working Group in her role at NIA. Dr. Rice earned her PhD in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Behavioral Research Program at the National Cancer Institute. Her research drew from social psychology and affective science to address how positive spontaneous thoughts underlie approach motivation for health-related behaviors and other aspects of everyday life.