Center for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research

Center Director Douglas Granger, PhD to Join ASU psychology faculty

Douglas A. Granger, a widely known psychoneuroendrocrinology researcher , will join the faculty of Arizona State University in August.  Granger has been appointed the ASU Foundation Professor of Psychology and inaugural director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience research. He begins his new position in August and will hold adjunct appointments at the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health.

Throughout his career, Granger, who is leaving his post as a professor of nursing, public health and medicine at Johns Hopkins University, has pioneered the integration of salivary biomarkers and analytes into basic developmental science. He has studied hormone-behavior relationships across the lifespan (infants, children, adults and the elderly), in extremely high risk and clinical samples (clinic-referred children, maltreated and abused adolescents, victimized children, mentally ill patients, mothers and infants in the context of rural poverty), as well as in low risk (head start) and normative samples.

Previously, Granger was on the faculty of Pennsylvania State University in the Departments of Biobehavioral Health; Human Development and Family Studies.  In addition to working in academia, Granger is the founder and chief scientific and strategy advisor for the company, Salimetrics. 

Center Staff

The mission of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Center for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research is to push the cutting edge of knowledge related to discovery and application of saliva as a research and diagnostic specimen.

Aims

• To incorporate the measurement of indicators found in oral fluids into research—developmental, social, behavioral, health, clinical, prevention, and rehabilitative sciences—and determine whether our understanding in those areas can be advanced using unique, minimally invasive measurements of biological systems through saliva.

• To establish collaborative programs to evaluate the potential value of new biomarkers and analytes present in oral fluids.

• To open windows of opportunity for researchers in economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, gerontology, nursing, social work, preventive medicine, dentistry, medicine, occupational science, sports medicine, psychiatry, and neuroscience.

• To create within the Johns Hopkins academic community an environment that supports and enables access to specialized training and laboratory services in salivary bioscience, and which supports researchers in their quest to obtain funding.

• To serve as a world stage for investigators to meet, discuss, and refine their ideas about the role of saliva as a research and diagnostic specimen.

In Press/Accepted for Publication

Urasche, A., Blair, C., Granger, D. A., Stifter, C.,  Voegtline, K., and the Family Life Project Investigators (accepted, minor revisions).  Behavioral reactivity to emotion challenge is associated with cortisol reactivity and regulation at 7, 15, and 24 months of age.  Developmental Psychobiology.

Johnson, S. B., Riley, A. W., Granger, D. A., & Riis, J. L.  (in press).  The science of early life toxic stress for pediatric practice and advocacy. Pediatrics. PMID 23339224

Savla, J. T., Granger, D. A., Roberto, K. A., Davey, A., Blieszner, R., & Gwazdauskas, F. (accepted, minor revisions).  Cortisol and Alpha Amylase Reactivity to Care-related Stressors in Spouses of Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment. Psychology and Aging.

Francis, L. A., Granger, D. A. & Susman, E. J. (in press). Adrenocortical regulation, eating in the absence of hunger and BMI in young children. Appettite. PMID 23219991

Taylor, Z. E., Spinrad, T. L., VanSchyndel, S., Eisenberg, N., Huynh, J., Sulik, M. J., & Granger, D. A., (in press).  Sociodemographic risk, parenting, and effortful control: Relations to salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol in early childhood. Developmental Psychobiology.  PMID 22949301

Out, D., Granger, D. A., Sephton, S. E., & Segerstrom, S. C. (in press).  Disentangling sources of individual differences in diurnal salivary alpha-amylase: Reliability, stability, and sensitivity to context.  Psychoneuroendocrinology.  PMID 22819683

Dreschel, N., A., & Granger, D. A. (in press).  Advancing the social neuroscience of human-animal interaction:  The role of salivary bioscience.   In “The Social Neuroscience of Human –Animal Interaction" (Eds., L. Freund,S.  McCune,P.  McCardle, L. Esposito & J. Griffin, Eds).

Feinberg, M., Jones, D., Granger, D. A. & Bontempo, D. (in press).  Anxiety and chronic couple relationship stress moderate adrenocortical response to couple interaction in expectant parents. British Journal of Psychology.
 
Wilde, C, Out, D., Johnson, S., & Granger, D. A. (in press).  Sample collection, including participant preparation and sample handling. In D. Wild (ed.), The Handbook of Immunoassay, Elsevier, London.

Scott, L. N., Levy, K. N., & Granger, D. A. (in press). Biobehavioral reactivity to social evaluative stress in women with borderline personality disorder.  Personality Disorders:  Theory, research and treatment. PMID 23244772

Granger, D.A., Johnson, S. B., Szanton, S. L., Out, D., Lau Schumann, L., (in press).  Incorporating salivary biomarkers into nursing research: an overview and review of best practices.  Biological Research in Nursing, 14, 347-356.  PMID 22593229

 
2013

Middlemiss, W., Granger, D. A., & Goldberg, W. A. (2013).  Response to “Let’s help parents help themselves: A letter to the editor supporting the safety of behavioural sleep techniques.  Early Human Development, 89, 41-42.  PMID 22889752

McGraw, L. K., Loan, L. A., Hammermeister, J. J., Ohlson, C. J., Out, D., & Granger, D. A. (2013).  Biobehavioral reactivity and regulation in Army Nurses in response to a combat casualty simulation stress task, 38, 135-144.  Psychoneuroendocrinology. PMID 22710003

2012

Berry, D., Blair, C. Willoughby, M., Granger, D. A., and the FLP Investigators (2012). Salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol in infancy and toddlerhood: Direct and indirect relations with executive functioning and academic ability in childhood. Psychoneuroendocrinology,37, 1700-1711 PMID 22472478

Bright, M., Frick, J., & Granger, D. A. (2012).  Do young children show a cortisol awakening response?.  Developmental Psychobiology, 54, 736-743 PMID 22006547.

Granger, D. A., & Johnson, S. B., (2012). Salivary Biomarkers.  In M. D. Gellman & J. R. Turner (eds.), Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine,pp 1005-9, Springer, New York

Byrd-Craven, J., Auer, B. J., Granger, D. A., & Massey, A. R. (2012).  The father-daughter dance:  The influence of the father-daughter relationship quality on daughters’ stress response to peer dynamics.  Journal of Family Psychology, 26, 87-94 PMID 22182338

Middlemiss, W., Granger, D. A., Goldberg, W. A., & Nathans, L. (2012).  Asynchrony of mother-infant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity following extinction of infant crying responses Induced during the transition to sleep. Early Human Development, 88, 227-232 PMID 21945361

Kreher, D. A., Powers, S. I., & Granger, D. A. (2012).  Relationship between cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase, and  cognitive bias in young women.   Behavioral Neuroscience, 126, 157-166. PMID 22289045

Keller, P. S., El-Sheikh, M., Granger, D. A., & Buckhalt, J. A. (2012).  Interactions between salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase as predictors of children’s cognitive functioning and academic performance.  Physiology and Behavior.  105, 987-995. PMID 22100627

Vermeer, H. J., Van Ijzendoorn, M. H., Groeneveld, M. G., and Granger, D. A. (2012).  Downregulation of the immune system in low-quality day care:  The case of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in toddlers.  Physiology and Behavior, 105, 161-167
PMID 21878345

2011

Nemoda, Z.., Horvat-Gordon, M., Fortunato, C. K., Beltzer, E., Scholl, J. L., Granger, D. A. (2011).  Assessing genetic polymorphisms using DNA extracted from cells present in saliva Samples.  BMC Medical Research Methodology, 11, 170.

Out, D., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Granger, D. A., Cobbaert, C. M., & Van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2011).  State and trait variance in salivary alpha-amylase during baseline and stress:  A behavioral Genetic Study.  Biological Psychology, 88, 147-154

Dorius, C., Booth, A.,Hibel, J., Granger, D. A., and Johnson, D. (2011).  Parents’ Testosterone and children’s perception of parent-child relationship quality.  Hormones and Behavior, 60, 512-519

Adam, E. K., Hoyt, L. T., & Granger, D. A. (2011).  Diurnal alpha amylase patterns in adolescents and associations with momentary mood states. Biological Psychology, 88, 170-173.

Allwood, M. A., Handwerger, K., Kivlighan, K. T., Granger, D. A., & Stroud, L. R. (2011).  Direct and moderating links of saliva alpha amylase and cortisol stress-reactivity to youth behavioral and emotional adjustment. Biological Psychology, 88, 57-64

Feinberg, M., Jones, D. E., Granger, D. A. & Bontempo, D. (2011).  Relation of Intimate partner violence to salivary cortisol among couples expecting a first child. Aggressive Behavior, 37, 492-502

Afifi, T. D., Granger, D. A., Denes, A., Joseph, A., Aldeis, D.  (2011) Parent’s communication skills and adolescents’ salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol response patterns. Communication Monographs, 78, 273-295.

Hibel, L. C., Granger, D. A., Blair, C., Cox, M. J., & The Family Life Project Key Investigators (2011). Maternal sensitivity buffers the adrenocortical implications of intimate partner violence exposure during early childhood.  Development and Psychopathology,23, 689-701..

Blair, C., Raver, C.C., Granger, D. A., Mills-Koonce, R., Hibel L., and the Family Life Project Key investigators (2011).  Allostasis and allostatic load in the context of poverty in early childhood. Development and Psychopathology, 3, 845-857

Clark, F., Jackson, J., Carlson, M., Chou, C-P., Cherry, B., Jordan-Marsh, M., Knight, B. G., Mandel, D., Blanchard, J., Granger, D. A., Lai, M.Y., White, B., Forman, T., Hay, J., Lam, C. , Marterella, A., & Azen, S. P. (in press).  Effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention in promoting the well being of independently living older people:  Results of the well elderly II randomized clinical trial.  Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

Blair, C., Granger, D. A., Willoughby, M., Mills-Koonce, R., Cox, M., Greenberg, M. T., Kivlighan, K., Fortunato, C. & The FLP investigators (2011).  Salivary cortisol mediates effects of poverty and parenting on executive functions in early childhood. Child Development, 82, 1970-1984

Glenn, A, L., Raine, A., Schug, R. A., Gao, Y., & Granger, D. A. (2011).  Increased testosterone to cortisol ratio in psychopathy.  Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120, 389-399

Mills-Koonce, R., Garrett-Peters, P., Barnett, M., Granger, D. A., Blair, C., Cox, M., & the Family Life Project Key Investigators (2011).  Father contributions to cortisol responses in infancy and toddlerhood. Developmental Psychology, 47, 388-395

Rudolph, K. D., Troop-Gordon, W., & Granger D. A. (2011).  Individual differences in biological stress responses moderate the contribution of early peer victimization to subsequent depressive symptoms. Psychopharmacology, 214, 209-219.

Eiden, R. D., Granger, D. A., Schuetze, P., & Veira, Y. (2011). Child Behavior Problems Among Cocaine-Exposed Toddlers: Indirect and Interactive Effects.Development and Psychopathology, 23, 187-198

2010

Byrd-Craven, J., Granger, D. A., & Auer, B. J. (2010). Stress-reactivity to co-rumination in young women’s friendships: Cortisol, alpha-amylase, and negative affect focus.  Journal of Personal and Social Relationships, 28, 469-487

Keller, P. S., El-Shiekh, M., Vaughn, B., & Granger, D. A. (2010).  Relations between mucosal immunity and children’s mental health: The role of Child Sex. Physiology & Behavior,101,705-712

Yim, I. S. Granger, D. A., & Quas, J. (2010).  Children’s and adults alpha-amylase responses to a laboratory stressor and to verbal recall of the stressor. Developmental Psychobiology, 52, 598-602

Rudolph, K. D., Troop-Gordon, W., & Granger D. A. (2010).  Peer victimization and aggression.  Moderation by individual differences in salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology,38, 843-856

Beltzer, E., Fortunato, C. K., Guaderramma, M., Peckins, M. K., Garramone, B. M., & Granger, D. A. (2010).  Salivary flow and salivary alpha-amylase: Collection technique, duration, and oral fluid type. Physiology and Behavior, 101, 289-296

Klein, L. C., Whetzel, C. A., Bennett, J. M., Granger, D.A. & Ritter, F. E. (2010).  Caffeine and stress alter salivary alpha-amylase activity in young men. Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental, 29, 359-367.

Vigil, J. M., Geary, D. C., Granger, D. A., & Flinn, M. V. (2010). Sex differences in salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, and psychological functioning following Hurricane Katrina. Child Development, 81, 1227-1239

Carney, J-L., Hazler, R. J., Oh, I., Hibel, L. C., & Granger, D. A. (2010).  The relationships between bullying exposures in middle childhood, anxiety, and adrenocortical activity. Journal of School violence, 9, 194-211

Susman, E. J., Dockray, S., Granger, D. A., Blades, K.T., Randazzo, W. T., Heaton, J. A., & Dorn, L. D. (2010). Cortisol and alpha amylase reactivity and timing of puberty:  Vulnerabilities for antisocial behavior in young adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35, 557-569.

Gordis, E. B., Margolin, G., Spies, L., Susman, E . J. & Granger, D. A.  (2010).  Interparental aggression and parent-adolescent salivary alpha amylase symmetry. Physiology and Behavior, 100, 225-233

Fisher, A. J., Granger, D. A., & Newman, M. G. (2010).  Sympathetic arousal moderates self-reported trait autonomic arousal at baseline and physiological flexibility in response to a stressor in generalized anxiety disorder.  Biological Psychology, 83, 191-200

Mouth Swabs May Be as Effective as Blood Draws

Reported on January 17, 2013 in Johns Hopkins Medicine News

It’s no fun getting stuck with a needle at the doctor’s office, but drawing blood is often the only way to detect illness, test the effectiveness of medicines and evaluate organ function. That may be changing, however, thanks to the research of Johns Hopkins University professor Doug Granger, Ph.D., who has spent the past 20 years looking at how to use a saliva swab as an alternative for blood collection.

Continue Reading

How Biomarkers in Saliva Can Benefit Your Research Program

Douglas Granger Delivers Keynote Speech for Athletics Research Facility

Reported August 23, 2012 on University of Nebraska-Lincoln Building Research Collaborations website

CISBR director Douglas Granger delivered the keynote speech for the East Stadium Research Facility Expansion Project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Part of the facility will be dedicated to the study of biomarkers.

Researchers Eye Saliva for Patient Testing

Scientists Believe Saliva Could Be Less Painful Alternative to Blood Tests

Reported by Andrea K. Waler, May 23, 2012 in The Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune and Oman Tribune

No one likes to get stuck with a needle.

No More Swabbing

Spit Sampling Gets a Whole Lot Easier

Reproduced from Johns Hopkins Nursing, Fall/Winter 2010

Researchers are constantly finding new ways to figure out what makes us human beings tick, and one of the newer methods makes you want to spit—literally.

Saliva is full of analytes and biomarkers that create a biological journal of exposure to chemicals and disease, and of genetic variability. However, the collection of oral fluid has always proved cumbersome, with researchers depending on swabs or collection cups.

A new tool developed by the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Center for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research (CISBR) in collaboration with SalivaBio, LLC, improves the ease of oral fluid collection, while maintaining the integrity of the biospecimen.

Learn more about the Whole Saliva Collection Device
 

Recent Headlines

Johns Hopkins Nursing Magazine Articles 

• New Camp Makes Mouths Water (Spring 2011) 
• Saliva Science: Researchers swap the dreaded needle and syringe for a simple foam swab (Fall/Winter 2010)

 

Presentation

The NIH Grant Process: Application, Review & Funding

The rapid accumulation of knowledge generated by the application of salivary analytes creates special opportunities. Yet, the cutting edge information is often presented across a variety of scientific meetings and journals. Thus, it can be challenging to stay up to speed with the most current information.

On a regular basis, the Center will serve as a forum for the presentation and discussion of the state of knowledge about salivary analytes and their applications. The Center will host small conferences and forums with the goal of defining boundaries of, and gaps in our knowledge, and charting future directions to enable the establishment of scientific critical mass.

• Integrating Salivary Analytes into the Study of Stress
  December 2, 2010

Available Assays

Much of the work on salivary analytes to date has focused on just a handful of measures related to infectious disease exposure and endocrine processes. A primary objective of the Center is to reveal the potential of this library of analytes by developing methods to measure them, and then documenting the value of these "new" salivary analytes for the behavioral, developmental, and health sciences.

In addition to the analytes below, CISBR is pleased to be able to offer genotyping services in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Genomic Analysis and Sequencing Core.

Assays Flier

Oxytocin testing

Salivary oxytocin analysis services are temporarily suspended to assess accurracy of measurement. The center is partnering with Salimetrics¹ to develop a new assay, however it may take several months before reaching completion. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Sending Samples

For inquiries and/or price quote, email cisbr@jhu.edu.

To submit samples for assay, send us a Project Overview and we will send you a Testing Order Form (TOF) and Sample Receiving Manifest (SRM). The TOF and SRM must be submitted at least 24 hours prior to the planned shipping date. 

• Domestic Shipping Guidelines
• International Shipping Guidelines

Saliva Collection Resources

While the Center does not sell saliva collection supplies, it has developed a new and improved device for the passive drool method of saliva collection. Learn more and purchase supplies

• Choosing a Saliva Collection Method and Device
• Passive Drool Saliva Collection (Salivabio)
• Passive Drool Saliva Collection (Straw)
• Oral Swab Saliva Collection
• Saliva Collection and Packaging Products

¹In the interest of full disclosure, Dr. Granger is founder and Chief Scientific and Strategy Advisor of Salimetrics LLC (State College, PA), and this relationship is managed by the policies of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Conflict of Interest Committee.

Salivary Bioscience Workshops

You are invited to join us for Spit Camp, a two-day workshop program designed for faculty, post-doctoral scholars, and fellows. Lectures and discussions are led by Dr. Granger, and laboratory activities are led by Jessica Parker. Attendance is limited to four to five participants per camp session to allow for in-depth, individualized discussion and instruction.              

The lecture component covers theoretical perspectives; oral fluid as biological specimens; practical aspects of sample handing, collection, and study design; basics of immunoassay used for assaying saliva; and hints for writing papers, presentations, and proposals. The laboratory component includes hands-on supervised training on sample processing, salivary immunoassay, and kinetic reaction assays. Samples will be collected, assayed, and data generated for discussion and analysis.

Testimonials

"I learned so much about saliva collection, analyses, and interpretation. I also learned the processes behind obtaining saliva data, which helps me in research design, implementation, as well as later write up. Finally, perhaps most importantly, I learned what areas of saliva data related research is lacking and what future directions look like, which, as a graduate students, gives me plenty of good ideas about how to make my research unique."

"I gained a better understanding of how to collect saliva samples and of potential challenges in doing so, more knowledge of the process of conducting salivary assays, and an introduction to relevant theory and empirical findings. I also gained a better understanding of how to conceptualize studies and how to think about what we can learn from salivary analytes."

"I would certainly recommend this workshop, especially to researchers planning a study or to research team members who will be collecting saliva samples."

• Spit Camp Flier
• Spit Camp Letter

Upcoming Camps

Hopkins Campus

There are no upcoming spit camp workshops scheduled at Johns Hopkins.

University of California, Irvine

• Contact: mbrahmbh@uci.edu

Contact  the Center at cisbr@jhu.edu for more information about availability and scheduling.

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM IN 2014 --- SAVE THE DATE!

CISBR will hold a salivary bioscience symposium at Johns Hopkins Medical Campus in Baltimore.  More details to follow!

Coming soon.