About the Program

Mission

The mission of the GROWS-BPS T32 is to train future independent investigators who will improve the health and wellbeing of older adults with serious illness and their families through innovative and impactful biopsychosocial research.

What is the Biopsychosocial Model?

Developed at the University of Rochester by George Engel, MD, the Biopsychosocial Model recognizes that health and illness are shaped by interactions among:

• Biological factors
• Psychological factors
• Social and environmental factors

The GROWS-BPS program prepares researchers to address these interconnected influences and develop interventions that improve real-world outcomes.

Why This Program Matters

Older adults with serious illness often experience challenges that extend beyond disease itself, including:

• Caregiver burden
• Social isolation
• Communication barriers
• Health system challenges
• Emotional and psychological distress

This program trains researchers to address these issues through rigorous and impactful research.

What is BPS?

This T32 is intentionally broad and welcomes trainees from almost any field of medicine as well as nursing, social work, chaplaincy, psychology, counseling, music therapy, and potentially other areas of study that intersect with medicine (e.g. anthropology, sociology, theology).