Hector Myers
Professor of Medicine, Health, and Society, Emeritus
Professor of Psychology
Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies
Office Hours
On leave 2022-2023 AY
Education
PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Hector F. Myers received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA and spent more than 39 years as Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology, including as Director of Clinical Training at UCLA from 2006-2013. Dr. Myers has published extensively on biobehavioral and psychosocial factors contributing to ethnic disparities in health & mental health. He has had an active collaborative program of health disparities research including the first study of the neurobehavioral sequelae of HIV/AIDS in African American men, on one of the largest longitudinal studies of HIV-positive women and their partners, on a clinical trial of a risk reduction intervention for women with histories of child sexual abuse.
Dr. Myers has also collaborated on several large clinical trials of Transcendental Meditation intervention with African American adults with hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, on a pilot randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of Mindfulness Meditation and immune status in HIV/AIDS, on an NIMH-funded multi-site clinical trial testing for ethnic differences in genetic and psychosocial factors affecting treatment response to Citalopram in adults with uncomplicated major depression, and on the NIMH collaborative multi-site trial of a risk reduction intervention for HIV-serodiscordant African American couples. Since joining MHS, Dr. Myers serves as a co-investigator and member of the training and mentoring core on the NIH-funded Vanderbilt, Meharry and University of Miami Collaborative Research Center on Precision Medicine.
Specializations
- Clinical/Health Psychology
- Ethnic disparities in chronic diseases and mental health
- HIV/AIDS
- Health Promotion and Risk Reduction Interventions
Representative Publications
Wyatt, G. E., Davhana-Maselesele, M., Chang, M., Wong, L., Nicholson, F., Der Sarkissian, A., Makhado, L., & Myers, H. F. The Longitudinal Study of the Aftermath of Rape Among Rural South African Women. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2017.
Hwang, W., Myers, H. F., Chiu, E., Mak, E., Butner, J., Fujimoto, K. A., Wood, J. J., & Miranda, J. (2015). Culturally Adapted Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chinese Americans with Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychiatric Services, 66(10), 1035-1042.
Rodriguez, N., Flores, T., Flores, R. T., Myers, H.F., & Vriesema, C.C. Validation of the Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory on adolescents of Mexican origin, Psychological Assessment, 2015, 27(4), 1438-1451.
Liu, H., Prause, N., Wyatt, G.E., Willliams, J.K., Chin, D., Davis, T., Loeb, T., Marchand, E., Zang, M., & Myers, H.F. Development of a Composite Trauma Exposure Risk Index, Psychological Assessment, 2015, 27(3), 965-974.
Myers, H.F., Wyatt, G.E., Ullman, J.B., Loeb, T.B., Chin, D., Prause, N., Zhang, M., Williams, J.K., Slavich, G.M., & Liu, H. Cumulative burden of lifetime adversities: Trauma and mental health in low-SES African Americans and Latinos/as. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice & Policy, 2015, 7(3), 243-251.
Davis, C. M., Myers, H.F., Nyamathi, A.M., Brecht, M.L., Lewis, M.A., & Hamilton, N. The meaning of survivorship as defined by African American breast cancer survivors. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 2014, 27(3), 277-285. DOI: 10.1177/1043659614561678.
Ortiz, M.S., & Myers, H.F. Control metabolico en patientes diabeticos tipo I Chilenos: Rol del estres psicologico (Association between psychological stress and metabolic control in patients with type 1diabetes mellitus), Revista Medica de Chile, 2014, 142, 451-457.
Loeb, T.B., Holloway, I.W., Galvan, F.H., Wyatt, G.E., Myers, H.F., Glover, D.A., Zhang, M., Liu, H. Associations Between Intimate Partner Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity in a Multiethnic Sample of Men With Histories of Childhood Sexual Abuse. Violence and Victims, 2014, 29 (3), 451-462.
Davis, C. M., Myers, H.F., Nyamathi, A.M., Brecht, M.L., Lewis, M.A., & Hamilton, N. Biopsychosocial predictors of psychological functioning among African American breast cancer survivors. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 2014, 32, 493–516.
Smedley, B.D. & Myers, H.F. Conceptual and methodological challenges for health disparities research and their policy implications. Journal of Social Issues, 70 (2), 2014, 382-391.
Ortiz, M., Myers, H.F., Dunkel Schetter, C., Rodriguez, C.J., & Seeman, T.E. Predictors of metabolic syndrome in US Latino groups in the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), 2015, PLoS ONE, 10(4): e0124517. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124517.
Allen, V.C., Myers, H.F., & Williams, J.K. Depression among Black bisexual men with early and later life adversities. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 2014, 20(1), 128-137.
Payne, J., Galvan, F., Williams, J.K., Prusinski, M., Wyatt, G.E., & Myers, H.F. Impact of childhood sexual abuse on the emotions and behaviours of adult men from three ethnic groups in the USA. Culture, Health & Sexuality: An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care. 2014, 16, (3), 231-245.
Chin, D., Myers, H.F., Zhang, M., Loeb, T., Ullman, J.B., Wyatt, G.E., & Carmona, J. Who improved in a trauma intervention for HIV-positive women with child sexual abuse histories? Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2014, 6(2), 152-158.
Joseph, N.T., Mathews, K.A., & Myers, H.F. Conceptualizing health consequences of Hurricane Katrina from the perspective of socioeconomic status decline. Health Psychology, 33(2), 2014, 139-146.
Ortiz, M., Baeza-Rivera, M.J. & Myers, H.F. Propriedades psicometricas de la escala de estres para diabeticos en una muestra de pacientes diabeticos tipo II Chilenos (Psychometric properties of the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) in a sample of Chilean diabetic patients). Terapia Psicological, 2013, 32(3), 281-283.
Wohl, A.R., Galvan, F.H., Carlos, J-A., Myers, H.F., Garland, W., Witt, M., Cadden, J., Operskalski, E. Jordan, W., & George, S. A comparison of HIV stigma, MSM stigma, depression, stress and social support in HIV-positive Latino and African American men who have sex with men (MSM). AIDS & Behavior, 2013, 17(4), 1454-1464.
Abdou, C. M., Dominguez, T.P, & Myers, H.F., Maternal familism predicts birthweight and asthma three years later. Social Science & Medicine, 2013, 76, 28–38.
Brumsey, A.D., Joseph, N.T., Myers, H.F., Ullman, J.B., & Wyatt, G.E. Modeling the relationship between trauma and psychological distress among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2013, 5(1), 69-76.
Hwang, W-C. & Myers, H.F. The explanatory model of illness catalogue: Ethnic differences in women’s illness beliefs and help-seeking for depression. J. of Cultural Diversity, 2013, 20(2), 57-65.
Poland, R.E., Lesser, I.M., Wan, Y.J., Gertsik, L., Raffel, L., Lin, K-M., & Myers, H.F.Response to Citalopram is not associated with SLC^AR genotype in African Americans and Caucasians with major depression. Life Sciences, accepted, 2013.
Wyatt, G.E., Myers, H.F., Ullman, J.B., Hamilton, A.B., Chin, D., Sumner, L.A., Loeb, T.B., Carmona, J.V., Zhang, M., Liu, H. The health our women (HOW) project: A community-based intervention for HIV-Positive women with histories of child sexual abuse. J. of Traumatic Stress, accepted, 2013.
Sumner, L.A., Wong, M.A. Dunkel Schetter, C., Myers, H.F., & Rodriguez, M. Predictors of PTSD symptoms among low income Latinas during pregnancy and postpartum. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice & Policy, 2012, 4(2), 196-203.
Thames, A.D., Moizel, J., Panos, S.E., Patel, S.M., Byrd, D.A., Myers, H.F., Wyatt, G. E. & Hinkin, C.H. Differential predictors of medication adherence in HIV: Findings from a sample of African American and Caucasian HIV-Positive drug-using adults. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 26 (10), 2012, 1-10.
Behavioral and Biological Outcomes of a Cluster-Randomized Trial. The NIMH Multisite HIV/STD Prevention trial for African American Couples Group. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2011.
Joseph, N.T., Myers, H.F., Schettino, J.R., Olmos, N.T., Bingham-Mira, C., Lesser, I.M., & Poland, R.E. Support and undermining in interpersonal relationships are associated with symptom improvement in a trial of antidepressant medication.Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 2011, 74(3), 240-254.
Schettino, J.R., Olmos, N.T., Myers, H.F., Joseph, N.T., Poland, R.E., & Lesser, I.M. Religiosity and treatment response to antidepressant medication: A prospective multi-site clinical Trial. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 2011, 1-14.
Sciolla, A., Glover, D.A., Loeb, T.B., Zhang, M., Myers, H.F., & Wyatt, G. E. Childhood sexual abuse severity and disclosure as predictors of depression among adult African American and Latina women. J. of Nervous and Mental Disease, 2011, 199(7), 1-8.
Wohl, A.R., Galvan, F.H., Myers, H.F., Garland, W. George, S., Witt, M., Cadden, J., Operskalski, E., Jordan, W., Carpio, F., & Lee, M.L. Does social support, stress, disclosure and stigma influence retention in HIV care for Latino and African American MSM and women? AIDS & Behavior, 2011, 15(6), 1098-1100.
Wyatt, G.E., Hamilton, A. G. Myers, H.F., Ullman, J.B., Chin, D., Sumner, L.A., Loeb, T. B., Carmona, J.V., Zhang, M., & Liu, H. Violence prevention among HIV-positive women with histories of violence: Healing women in their communities. Women’s Health Issues, 2011, 21-65, S255-S260.
Concordant and discordant reports on shared sexual behaviors and condom use among African American serodiscordant couples in four cities. The NIMH HIV/STD Prevention Trial for African American Couples Group. AIDS and Behavior, 2010, 14, 1011-1022.
El-Bassel, N., Jemmott, J.B., et al. National Institute of Mental Health Multisite HIV/STD Prevention Intervention for African American HIV Serodiscordant Couples: A Cluster Randomized Trial. Arch. Internal Med., 2010, 170(17), 1594-1601.
Glover, D.A., Loeb, T.B., Carmona, J.V., Sciolla, A., Zhang, M., Myers, H.F., & Wyatt, G.E. Childhood sexual abuse severity and disclosure predict posttraumatic stress symptoms and biomarkers ethnic minority women. J. of Trauma & Dissociation, 2010, 11,152-173.
Lesser, I.M., Myers, H.F., Lin, K-H., Bingham-Mira, C., Joseph, N.T., Olmos, N.T., Schettino, J.R., & Poland, R. Ethnic differences in antidepressant response: A prospective multi-site clinical trial, Depression and Anxiety, 2010, 27, 56-62.
Prevalence of child and adult sexual abuse and risk taking practices among HIV serodiscordant African American couples. The NIMH Multisite HIV/STD Prevention Trial for African American Couples Group. AIDS and Behavior, 2010, 14, 1032-1044.
Wohl, AR, Garland, W., Galvan, F., Myers, H.F., George, S., Witt, M., Operskalski , E., Cadden, J., Jordan, W., & Caprio, F. Social support, stress and social network characteristics among HIV positive Latino and African American women and men who have sex with men. AIDS & Behavior, 2010, 14(5), 1149-1158.
Brondolo, E., Gallo, L.C. & Myers, H.F. (2009). Race, racism and health: Disparities, mechanisms, and interventions. J. of Behavioral Medicine, 32(1), 1-8.
Creswell, J.D., Myers, H.F., Cole, S.W., & Irwin, M.R. Mindfulness meditation training effects on CD4+T lymphocytes in HIV-1 infected adults: A small randomized controlled trial. Brain, Behavior & Immunity, 2009, 23, 184-188.
Ettenhofer, M.L., Hinkin, C.H., Castellon, S.S., Durvasula, R.S., Ullman, J.B., Lam, M.N., Myers, H.F., Wright, M., and Foley, J. (2009). Aging, neurocognition, and medication adherence in HIV infection: A latent modeling approach. American J. of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17(4), 281-290.
George, S., Garth, B., Wohl, A.R., Galvan, F.H., Garland, W., & Myers, H.F. Sources and types of social support that influence engagement in HIV care among Latinos and African Americans. J. of Health Care for the Poor & Underserved, 2009, 20(4), 1012-1035.
Myers, H.F. Ethnicity and socioeconomic status-related stresses in context: An integrative review and conceptual model. J. of Behavioral Medicine, 2009, 32(1), 9-19.