Grad Student Research: Piper Elwood on gut-brain disorders

Piper Elwood (she/her) is a graduate student of psychology at Western. Last winter, Elwood received the Graduate Research and Creative Opportunities Grant to study psychological appraisals of gut-brain disorder symptoms. These kinds of ailments, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Crohn's disease, can have a big impact on a person's quality of life. Elwood's project started with a simple question: How can I help people living with these conditions build confidence in their own capabilities to manage their symptoms?

Elwood first came to Western Washington University as an undergraduate student of psychology. She was drawn to the variety of programs available at WWU and to Bellingham's beautiful mountains and bay. Elwood's graduate advisor is Professor of Psychology Barbara Lehman, and Elwood has really enjoyed working with such an excellent mentor. Elwood said, "Lehman is very passionate about her students' success and has really helped me to refine my research goals."

Getting medical care for gut-brain conditions like IBS and Crohn's disease can be challenging. Elwood says, "There can be financial burdens, and symptoms are often inconsistent yet always prevalent." Furthermore, specific treatments do not work the same way in each person, so results can be inconsistent.

"I would say [these conditions] take a great level of attention to handle. A lot of times people living with these conditions report needing more help. They don't know where information [and resources] can be found," Elwood said. "People with these conditions often struggle both with the social aspect and also the physiological aspect of their symptoms."

The idea that there is a crucial connection between the gut and brain has been around a long time. But more in-depth research on the gut-brain connection is up-and-coming in psychology, and Elwood is excited to be part of it. Everyone experiences the symptoms associated with these conditions at some point in their lives, so one of her top priorities is to minimize the embarrassment, stigma and shame associated with these conditions.

Elwood's conversations with research participants have shown her how important her work is, and that gives her hope that her research will eventually give back to folks who live with gut-brain conditions.