Jay Kaplan is Professor of Pathology and Professor of Anthropology at Wake Forest University. Kaplan obtain his Ph. D. in Anthropology from Northwestern University in 1976.

Kaplan researches the role social behavior plays in the development of atherosclerotic heart disease. Kaplan uses non-human primates to investigate the physiological effects of social environment. Kaplan is interested both in the effects of environment on all animals, as well as the effects that vary as a function of individual differences in behavioral or physiological responsiveness to a given environment. His studies involve the pituitary-adrenaline systems. Recently, his laboratory has begun to explore the neurology of behaviors that are associated with disease susceptibility and resistance.

The author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, Kaplan won the Irvine H. Page Arteriosclerosis Research Prize for Young Investigators in 1986 and served as President of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research in 1996-1997.

Albert asks:
Hello Jay, Is there any evidence that the dominant monkeys are aware of the effect this stress has on their lives? Are there monkeys that give up their position as leader because of the ill effects on their health?

Kaplan's response:
We have no evidence that the monkeys perceive the health problem or relate discomfort to their ranking. Further, it is consumption of the "cheeseburger diet" interacting with the stress that causes the measurable health problem, not the stress per se.

Margaret asks:
Are you planning to conduct research on the effect of stress on cancer or autoimmune disorders? If not, do you know of scientists that are conducting this kind of research?

Kaplan's response:
We will be considering the effects of stress on ovarian, uterine, and breast cancer in female monkeys that are or are not consuming a diet that contains soy protein. In these females, stress causes a reduction in circulating estrogen. Such a reduction could actually be protective. Other investigators have studied stress effects on cancer. See the following article:

J.K.Keicolt - Glaser, T.F. Robles, K.L. Heffner, T.J. Loving and r. Glaser. Psycho-oncology and cancer: psychoneuroimmunology and cancer. European Society for Medical Oncology 2002: 165-169. (PDF version)