Biography
Dr. Yang Hou is an assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine and Director of the Development, Environment, and Resilience (DEaR) Lab at the College of Medicine, Florida State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin and completed postdoctoral training in Health Psychology and Neurobehavioral Research at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Hou's research focuses on the biopsychosocial factors influencing neurobehavioral development—including cognitive, academic, socioemotional, and behavioral domains—among underrepresented groups, particularly families affected by rare diseases such as Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1). Her current work leverages innovative and advanced quantitative methods to uncover patterns and predictors of neurobehavioral development across the lifespan in individuals with NF1, with the ultimate goal of designing interventions to improve their neurobehavioral functioning. In addition to leading her research program, Dr. Hou serves as a biostatistician and is dedicated to advancing developmental and clinical science by applying advanced quantitative methods and promoting open science practices and data sharing. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, and her research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Children’s Tumor Foundation. She has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, and her work has been supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Her contributions have been recognized internationally with honors including the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science and the Early Career Outstanding Paper Award from the American Psychological Association.
Degrees
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PhD, Human Development and Family Sciences
University of Texas at Austin ▪ 2018
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M.Phil., Psychology
Chinese University of Hong Kong ▪ 2012
