Distinguished behavioral scientist Bonnie Spring joins FSU College of Medicine bringing decades of research and mentoring expertise to students and faculty
Tallahassee, Florida – Florida State University College of Medicine has recently welcomed Bonnie Spring, a nationally recognized behavioral scientist, whose decades-long career in research and mentoring is poised to make a significant impact on the university’s health initiatives and its students. Known for her pioneering work in behavioral health and chronic disease prevention, Spring brings a wealth of experience, innovative approaches, and a deep commitment to improving public health outcomes.
Spring’s academic journey began at Harvard University, where she pursued her master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology. Early in her career, she focused on serious mental illness, producing research that has been cited more than 3,000 times. However, she found herself constrained by the lack of objective measurement tools available at the time, a challenge that led her to pivot her focus and retrain as a health psychologist. Since then, she has dedicated her career to understanding and modifying risk behaviors, including smoking, overeating, poor diet, and physical inactivity—factors that contribute to chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and other long-term health issues.
“It was having an impact through behavioral interventions that captured my heart, and being able to expand an intervention so it’s large enough to be a public health benefit continues to grip my attention,” Spring said, reflecting on her lifelong motivation to make tangible improvements in public health.
Over the past 30 years, Spring has focused on both the prevention of and intervention into health-risk behaviors, employing a variety of analytical methods, including longitudinal modeling and machine learning for predictive analytics. She has become particularly known for her work with Multiphase Optimization Strategies, or MOST, a framework that applies engineering principles to design multi-component behavioral interventions. The goal of MOST is to create programs that are effective, affordable, scalable, and efficient—often referred to by Spring and colleagues as EASE.
“Underserved populations rarely have only one behavioral health risk, and effective interventions often have multiple components,” she explained. “Being able to holistically address the underlying issues as well as the behaviors tends to lead to better outcomes.”
Spring’s expertise made her a natural choice for Florida State University’s College of Medicine, which she joined late last year after 19 years at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She now serves as the Krafft Professor of Behavioral and Social Medicine and director of the College of Medicine’s Florida Blue Center for Rural Health Research and Policy, located within the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine.
Dean Alma Littles emphasized the significance of Spring’s appointment, noting, “We are fortunate to have attracted such a highly regarded and well-funded researcher as Bonnie Spring. With the college continuing to expand its research opportunities for all students, M.D. and PA as well as Ph.D., her research skill set and demonstrated commitment to mentoring will be an asset to our students, as well as our junior faculty. Her knowledge of rural health issues will help her lead the Florida Blue Center for Rural Health Research and Policy to a new level of achievement and likely influence legislation in Florida and across the country.”
The Florida Blue Center, initially established in 2002 through a gift from the Florida Blue Foundation—the philanthropic arm of Florida Blue Cross Blue Shield—focuses on addressing rural health disparities across the state. Professor Heather Flynn, chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, expressed excitement about Spring’s leadership, highlighting her ability to combine innovative research with practical solutions for rural communities.
“Bonnie really brings a multi-faceted and fresh vision for the center and its future that incorporates innovations in digital health research, as well as training the next generation of researchers,” Flynn said. “She has been successful in integrating different digital health tools and technology—such as wearables, apps, and electronic medical records—with telehealth coaching to create successful interventions for people with multiple-risk behaviors.”
Spring’s introduction to rural health research came through a collaboration with Nancy Schoenberg, Marian Pearsall Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Schoenberg, who has an anthropology background, reached out to Spring to adapt an intervention Spring had previously implemented in Chicago for use in rural populations. That initial cold call sparked a long-term partnership that yielded significant results.
“Rural residents tend to be older, sicker and poorer,” Schoenberg said. “Bonnie has great strength in developing and implementing interventions, and I loved this one. The results were stunning, and the positive effects were sustained. I spent maybe a year and a half or two years adapting it.”
The collaboration also resulted in a $2.5 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, for a clinical trial examining stress and sleep, during which participants logged daily food intake and physical activity. For Spring, the work in rural Appalachia was transformative, aligning with the values she embraced in college: commitment, community, and creativity. She found that rural health research offered an opportunity to apply all three principles, allowing her to engage directly with communities while addressing pressing public health needs.
Now at Florida State University, Spring hopes to expand her work by training the next generation of health researchers and reaching new communities facing gaps in care. She has a clear vision of the challenges in U.S. health care delivery, particularly the imbalance between resources and need.
“We have the most expensive health care in the world, and we’re living in a delusional bubble,” she said. “The demand for health care is always going to outstrip availability. You have to use what resources you have and engage the communities whose needs you’re trying to meet. We have to meet people where they are and accept them as they are, so they will accept us as partners.”
Spring’s work continues to push the boundaries of behavioral health research, integrating cutting-edge digital health tools with hands-on, community-focused interventions. Her approach emphasizes the importance of addressing multiple risk behaviors simultaneously, recognizing that underserved populations often face interconnected health challenges. By combining traditional behavioral science methods with modern technology, Spring has been able to create interventions that are not only effective but also scalable and sustainable in diverse settings.
Her arrival at Florida State University also strengthens the College of Medicine’s commitment to mentorship. Spring is known for her dedication to training junior faculty and students, helping them navigate the complexities of academic research while encouraging innovative thinking. Through her guidance, many emerging researchers have gained the skills needed to implement multi-component behavioral interventions in real-world settings, from urban centers to rural communities.
As the Krafft Professor and director of the Florida Blue Center for Rural Health Research and Policy, Spring is poised to leave a lasting mark on Florida’s health care landscape. Her focus on rural health disparities, combined with her expertise in behavioral interventions, positions her to influence both policy and practice. The center’s renewed initiatives under her leadership are expected to reach underserved populations across the state, improving access to care, promoting healthier behaviors, and ultimately enhancing quality of life.
Bonnie Spring’s career demonstrates a consistent commitment to improving public health through research, innovation, and mentorship. Her work exemplifies the power of combining scientific rigor with practical, community-centered approaches. As she settles into her role at Florida State University, students, faculty, and rural communities alike stand to benefit from her decades of experience, her pioneering methodologies, and her unwavering dedication to health equity and behavioral change.
In a world where chronic disease and health disparities remain pressing concerns, Spring’s arrival at FSU signals a new chapter in behavioral health research—one that promises to integrate cutting-edge technology, evidence-based interventions, and a deep respect for the communities being served. Her vision reflects not only a commitment to research excellence but also a profound understanding of the human dimension of health care, emphasizing the importance of partnership, empathy, and practical solutions.
