Suffolk Reporter

Stony Brook University has announced that Marci Lobel, a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Psychology, has been awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award for 2025-2026. The award, presented by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, recognizes her work on stress and coping, particularly their effects on reproductive health.

Professor Lobel's research has highlighted the negative impact of stress on pregnant women and their children. Her upcoming tenure at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic will involve studying stress in pregnant Czech women and teaching a course on women's health psychology.

Joanne Davila, chair of Stony Brook's Department of Psychology, expressed her excitement about Lobel's recognition: “We’re thrilled that Dr. Lobel has received this award. She’s so well deserving of it. It’s an important opportunity both for her and for her colleagues in the Czech Republic.”

Lobel emphasized the importance of understanding stress during pregnancy: “Our research and other studies confirm that high stress during pregnancy increases risk for low birthweight and preterm birth, which are major contributors to poor health and development in infants, children, and adults.” She noted that there is limited attention to stress among pregnant women in the Czech Republic and aims to address this gap through her research.

David Wrobel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University, congratulated Lobel: “My sincere congratulations to Distinguished Professor Marci Lobel on this wonderful news. The prestigious Fulbright program is a fantastic opportunity for Professor Lobel to continue the important work she is doing to expand knowledge of women’s health.”

Lobel directs Stony Brook's Stress and Reproduction Laboratory (STAR Lab), focusing on public health issues such as racial disparities in birth outcomes and pandemic-related prenatal stress effects. She holds degrees from Harvard University and UCLA.

The Fulbright Distinguished Scholar awards are highly esteemed within the Fulbright Scholar Program, recognizing scholars with significant experience who contribute to mutual understanding between nations.