VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) - University of South Dakota researchers are participating in a multidisciplinary study to provide new insights into the complex issues regarding effects of traumatic stress.

The research project is funded by a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

It will examine the association between traumatic stress and health outcomes among veterans who have been fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Psychology professors Jeffrey Simons and Raluca Gaher will examine several social, psychological, environmental and genetic factors that contribute to individual differences in resilience and vulnerability. The project uses several advanced methods of data collection, including near real-time monitoring of behavior with palmtop computers.

The research is being conducted with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Sioux Falls and the Veteran Health Care System in Bay Pines, Fla.

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