Blair Irvine, PhD

Research Scientist

Blair is a health educator with graduate degrees in health education, exercise physiology, and zoology. At ORCAS since 1995, his research and development projects involve technological approaches to deliver behaviorally focused health education. His NIH-funded programs address topics such as eating habits, exercise, health-risk appraisal, parenting, and family and professional caregiving for older adults.

Since 1970, Blair also has been an integral part of a multi-generational study a population of wild dolphins near Sarasota, Florida -- the world's longest-running study of wild dolphins. Thirty-nine years later, Blair still spends time every year as part of a team working with these complex and engaging creatures.

Completed Research Projects

• Communication skills for family caregivers of persons with dementia
• Communication skills for professionals caring for persons with dementia (initial study)
• Decreasing dietary intake of fat
• Discipline and communication skills for parents of children age 11-15 (expanded study)
• Discipline and communication skills for parents of children age 11-15 (initial study)
• Interactive health risk appraisal
• Interactive planning program to increase physical activity
• Interactive planning program to increase physical activity among seniors (expanded study)
• Interactive planning program to increase physical activity among seniors (initial study)
• Multimedia education for back pain relief and prevention
• Multimedia education for headache relief and prevention
• Multimedia education for prevention of STIs (sexually transmitted infections)
• Multimedia education for problem drinking
• Multimedia education for stress relief and prevention
• Multimedia support for family caregivers of persons with dementia
• Multimedia support for family members caring for an older adult with chronic illness
• Sensitive conversations: communication skills for families caring for an older relative

Additional Information

• Biographical Sketch (.pdf document)

Team Members
Molly Billow (Project Coordinator)
Bess Day (Research Assistant II)
Vicky Gelatt, MS (Project Director/Research Scientist)
Teri Gutierrez, M.Ed (Project Coordinator)
Tammy Salyer (Research Assistant II)

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