Jeffrey M. Greeson, Ph.D.

Director
Mindfulness, Stress & Health Lab

Associate Professor of Psychology
Rowan University, College of Science and Mathematics

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

Learn more about me.

I have conducted research in the fields of mindfulness, medicine, psychology, and neuroscience for nearly 30-years.  This work has been generously funded by the NIH, including a career development award from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), an R01 grant from the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI), and a Fellowship from Nova Institute for Health (formerly TIIH), among others.  I am primarily interested in the connection between stress & health, including the potential health benefits of mindfulness.  To date, I have also mentored over 65 students and trainees in research, many of whom are co-authors on professional presentations and publications.

In addition to physical health outcomes and biomarkers of mindfulness, I am especially interested in the concept of “mindful emotion regulation.”  I also have a growing interest in the neuroscience of mindfulness, and in what I call “mindfulomics” — the intersection of mindfulness and the omics sciences (genomics, metabolomics, etc).

Click here for Dr. Greeson's CV

Link to Google Scholar.

Savana Coraggio

Undergraduate Student, Biochemistry (Pre-Health)

Savana Coraggio is a current undergraduate Honors student, majoring in biochemistry with minors in psychology and pre-medical health. She plans to continue her education in medical school. 

She was born and raised in Medford, New Jersey. She likes to spend her free time reading or baking, and listening to music. She hopes to continue her education in the psychobiological field as she conducts research in the MSH Lab.

Tanya Pulavarthi

Undergraduate Student, Psychology (Pre-Health)

Tanya Pulavarthi is an undergraduate Honors student, majoring in psychology and pre-med. Her research interests include mindfulness and its integration in medicine, self-regulation, and our neurology in general (brain scans). Whether it be alternative therapy or medicine, the idea that different backgrounds/ethnicities have different approaches to mindfulness interests her very much. She hopes to pursue her curiosities and interests at the MSH lab.

Tanya’s future goals include becoming a locum psychiatrist and delving into patient advocacy. She is a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and will be working with other service groups.

Medha Dabral

Undergraduate Student, Biological Sciences (Pre-Health)

Medha is an undergradaute Honors student, majoring in Biological Sciences. Medha is excited to be part of the MSH Lab because she is interested in studying the physical and psychological effects of mindfulness, and how mindfulness can be integrated into healthcare. As a STEM student, Medha wants to start the path of research in college that would ultimately allow her to gain more experience in the field of science outside of just her classes. Her future goal is to attend medical school and have a career in medicine.

Medha is currently involved with her community as she volunteers her time as a Staff EMT on the Rowan University EMS Squad. She enjoys spending her free time playing badminton, painting, and practicing taekwondo as she recently earned her second degree black belt.

Mitchell Wiegand

Undergraduate Student, Psychology

Mitchell is a junior at Rowan University, majoring in Psychology. He transferred from Camden County College after earning his associate degree in Fall 2022. Now he is hoping to finish his undergraduate studies and apply for graduate programs in clinical or counseling psychology.

In his free time, Mitchell likes to travel, train parkour or rock climb, and read. 

Gabrielle Chin, Ph.D. (2017-2023)

Graduate Student, Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program
Rowan University, College of Science and Mathematics

Abby earned her Ph.D. in 2023 after completing her integrated care internship at George Fox University. During her time in the MSH Lab, Abby's work was funded by an NIH grant to promote diversity in health related research, as well as by a Camden Health Research Initiative grant to study physician compassion and surgery outcomes. Her work explores the physiological effects of mindfulness, as a state, trait and training, and how these effects may vary across demographic groups. Ultimately, she hopes to develop effective and brief mindfulness-based interventions targeting specific skills necessary to reduce recidivism for inmates nearing release.

Abby was born and raised in Middleton, Wisconsin. Now she is now completing a postdoctoral fellowship in Delaware. In her free time, she enjoys binging bad Asian novels and dramas, gymnastics, gardening and home building projects.

Emma McBride, Ph.D. (2018-2023)

Graduate Student, Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program
Rowan University, College of Science and Mathematics

Emma earned her Ph.D. in 2023 after completing her internship at the University of Rochester. During her time in the MSH Lab, Emma's work was funded by a New Jersey Health Foundation grant. Her research interests include investigating the psychophysiological and biological signatures of mindfulness and the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for both young and older adults at risk for chronic, stress-related illness. She is also interested in the ways in which mindfulness, conceptualized as a state, a trait, and a skill, can target transdiagnostic processes implicated in multiple psychological and medical conditions.

Emma was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. She currently resides in Rochester, NY with her husband and two cats. Emma has been an active member of meditation communities in Philadelphia and elsewhere. She loves plant-based cooking, camping, and gardening. During graduate school, she spent her spare time digging in the dirt at her community garden and indulging in Philly’s fabulous vegan food scene.

Allison Warner, M.S. (2022-2023)

Graduate Student, Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program
Rowan University, College of Science and Mathematics

Allison spent her first-year as a doctoral student in the MSH Lab, before switching to the Prevention Science Lab and working with Dr. Brunwasser as her primary research advisor. Allison's research interests broadly include investigating the impact of mindfulness as a state, trait, and training on biomarkers associated with stress and depression. She is also interested in the psychophysiological signatures and patient outcomes associated with physician compassion and humanistic medical practice. 

Allison currently resides in central New Jersey. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time in nature, visiting museums and historical sites, and whipping up new recipes in her kitchen.

Marissa Breece (2022)

Undergraduate Student, Chemistry

Marissa is an undergraduate student, majoring in Chemistry. Her research interests include how mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) play a huge role in recovery of those suffering from addictions that include alcohol, gambling and illicit drug use. MBI techniques are said to aid in reducing the misuse and craving of these said addictions and she looks forward to diving deeper into this topic to its full extent within the MSH Lab.

Marissa plans to attend graduate school to further pursue her goals of research, specifically directed toward addictions and substance abuse. 

Kora Clauser (2021-2022)

B.S. in Biological Sciences

Kora graduated from Rowan in 2022 with her degree in Biological Sciences and minor in Psychology. Her research interests include studying the differences between various types of mindfulness practice (e.g., meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki), and the different ways in which mindfulness can impact well-being. She is also interested in researching how mindfulness practices and programs can be catered to best meet the needs of different groups and individuals. Kora is now working in the field of biology.

Kora was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. She now lives near Kutztown, PA, with her family of seven, as well as her pets Poggibonsi, Chevy, and Quill. In her free time, Kora enjoys hunting, surfing, and taking her dog on hikes with her family.

Adaeze Njoku (2022)

Undergraduate Student, Biological Sciences & Psychology

Adaeze is Biological Sciences major and Psychology minor at Rowan University. She is interested in learning more about how one's mental state can directly influence their physical health and more specifically how implementing mindfulness practices will affect biological markers of health. She hopes to learn about how race, social class, and other factors correlate with the effectiveness of mindfulness based interventions. Although she is still exploring which careers are best for her, post graduation she hopes to attend medical school or obtain a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Adaeze was born in Belleville, NJ, and now lives in Central Jersey with her family. In her free time she finds herself playing guitar, playing rugby, and discovering new music.

Karie Shen (Summer 2021)

High School Student, The Academy for Mathematics, Science and Engineering

A rising junior in high school, Karie spent the summer as a research intern, aiming to learn more about mindfulness practices for adolescents. After noticing the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ mental health and ability to study, Karie began exploring initiatives to encourage more effective stress management in schools, including mindfulness programs. In her time at the MSH Lab, Karie attended weekly lab meetings, conducted a literature review, and wrote an abstract on "Mindfulness for Improving Focus and Attention in High Schools."

In school, Karie leads organizations including the Medical Club, Future Business Leaders of America, and herLIFT, and she is a competitive swimmer. Karie hopes to pursue psychology or medicine in university, though she is still exploring various fields.

Ben Schnur (2021)

B.A. in Psychology

Ben graduated from Rowan in 2023 with a bachelors degree in Psychology. As an undergraduate student, Ben served as Secretary on the Executive Board of Psychology Alliance, a long-standing student led club. His research interests primarily deal with how mindfulness relates to a variety of common aspects of life such as social media use and academic performance, specifically in young adult and adolescent populations. He is also interested in how mindfulness is integrated into Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and how it can be used to treat various disorders. After college, Ben plans to pursue a Master’s degree in mental health counseling.

Ben is from Bridgewater, NJ. In his spare time he enjoys reading and writing, video games, making and critiquing music, and hiking.

Amanda Colangelo (2018-2020)

B.A. in Psychology (Pre-Health), Rowan University
M.S. in Biomedical Science, Rutgers University
Medical Student, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

Amanda graduated from Rowan University in 2020 as a Psychology major and Pre-medical minor. She then completed a Masters degree in Biomedical Science at Rutgers and worked full-time in clinical research. She is now in medical school at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. Amanda's research interests include the connection between mental and physical wellbeing. During her three years with the MSH lab, Amanda focused on psychophysiology and neuroscience, particularly electroencephalography (EEG). She also assisted with data collection and manuscript writing on other studies. Amanda is interested in stress relief techniques that could help with daily management of chronic illnesses and disabilities. As a type 1 diabetic she knows that it is essential to address stress, as it has a direct effect on your health and on your ability to care for yourself.

Amanda was raised in North Jersey. She aspires to become a Pediatrician, and enjoys volunteering for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the College Diabetes Network, as it allows her to connect with children and adults who were recently diagnosed. Lifting weights and cooking healthy meals are also things she always make time for.  

Victoria Kloster (2018-2020)

B.A. in Psychology (Pre-Health), Rowan University

Victoria (Tori) graduated from Rowan in 2020 with her degree in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. She has since completed nursing school at Rutgers and now works as an ER and ICU nurse at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. Overall, her research interests focus primarily on the interplay between mental and physical health. Another area Victoria is very interested in is alternatives to prescribing medications (such as yoga and meditation) as a source of treatment for illnesses. She wishes to learn about these techniques to utilize in the healthcare field.

Victoria was raised on the beaches of South Jersey. Trained as an EMT First Responder, she now works as a nurse alongside emergency and critical care workers to help patients suffering from serious medical and mental disorders. Victoria spends her free time reading poetry, watching soccer, exercising, and enjoying friends/family.

David Virok (2019-2020)

B.S. in Biological Sciences (Pre-Med)

David graduated from Rowan with his degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology and concentration in Premedical studies. His primary research interests include investigating the biological and psychophysiological markers of stress, along with the implications stress management has on post trauma recovery. As an undergraduate, David was involved with several pre-health clubs. He now works as a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) First Responder with over 200 patient care hours involving dynamic medical scenarios.

David was raised in a small town near McGuire Airforce Base in Burlington County.  He is passionate about refining and expanding his emergency medical knowledge through continued education and everyday practice. David hopes to attend medical school to pursue emergency medicine and neuroscience research. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking with his dog, long distance running, and spending time watching movies with his triplet siblings.

Annalise Barrett (2019-2020)

B.S. in Biological Sciences

Annalise graduated from Rowan in 2023 as a Biological Sciences major with a minor in Psychology. She is interested in the relationship between how the mind and body work together. Her passion for psychology led her to do research with the MSH lab to further her interests. She hopes to gain hands-on experience to take with her throughout her future career. Her future goals include medical school, and to one day open up her own Psychiatry practice. 

Annalise lives in South Jersey. The time she doesn’t spend studying is spent hanging out with friends, exercising, and playing with her dogs.

Zahra Juma (2019-2020)

M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Zahra graduated from Rowan with her masters degree in mental health counseling. Prior to joining the MSH Lab, she worked with journalists, urban refugees, the Kenya National Police Service and LGBTIQ+ members, teaching the basics and benefits of mindfulness practices.

Her research interests include understanding the effects of mindfulness practices on the vagus nerve, and it's relation to the management of stress and trauma symptoms. She is also interested in identifying and documenting culturally relevant mindfulness practices that can be incorporated in everyday life. She is hoping to use her findings to create affordable stress management programs in East Africa.

Zahra was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, where she now works as a Psychotherapist in private practice. She enjoys riding motorcycles, outdoor sports and being with her family.

Stephanie May (2019)

Undergraduate Student, Psychology

Steph is a Psychology major and Sociology minor at Rowan University. She spent one year working with the Mindfulness, Stress & Health Lab. Her research interests center around the role of self care and nutrition in mental health. Her overall goal is to go to graduate school to pursue health psychology in some branch. 

Steph grew up in South Jersey just minutes from Rowan. Her time that isn’t spent on campus is either spent with her animals or going on new adventures & traveling.

Megan Brown

B.S. in Psychological Science and Neuroscience
Research Coordinator, CHASE Lab at Rowan

Megan graduated from Rowan in 2018, receiving her B.S. in Psychological Science, and minor in Neuroscience. After working full-time in Dr. Danielle Arigo’s Clinical Health and Social Experiences (CHASE) lab at Rowan as research coordinator and lab manager, Megan began Rowan's Clinical Psychology PhD program in Fall 2020. She, Dr. Greeson, and Dr. Arigo collaborated on a brief report together, which examined predictors of treatment outcomes after a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Megan is interested in the etiology and treatment of stress, social anxiety, emotion dysregulation, and the social influences on these and chronic illness conditions. She is also interested in implementing mindfulness-based interventions and integrated health care.

In her free time, Megan enjoys going to the gym, yoga, finding new vegan recipes to try, and binge watching The Office.

Andrea Radossi

Medical Student, Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine

Andrea Radossi is a medical student at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM).  She received a BS in Health Science from Northeastern University and graduated from Georgetown University with an MS in Physiology, Biophysics and Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  She serves as a Health Coach for RowanSOM’s Healthy Lifestyle Center and is Vice President of Students for Integrative Medicine.  Andrea has assisted in meditation research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Spirituality and Psychology Lab at Columbia University.  She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2015 at Kula Yoga Project in New York City and has taught in various settings over the last several years, including homeless shelters, hospitals and studio classes.  She spent time researching the benefit of complementary modalities for cancer care in the Integrative Therapies Program at Columbia University Medical Center and taught yoga and meditation to its patients, caregivers and staff.  Andrea is interested in the impact of psychological stress on immune function, genetic markers and the development of chronic disease.  She aspires to become a functional medicine physician specializing in integrative medicine and psychoneuroimmunology (PNI).

Aashna Patel

Medical Student, Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine

Aashna is a medical student at Rowan SOM. She is passionate about taking initiatives in healthcare policy and public health. She intends to pursue a Masters in Public Health after her medical degree. She was drawn to the MSH Lab based on her keen interest in studying how mindfulness in our daily lives, especially as a student and later healthcare professional, can help us be more mindful and reduce levels of stress and anxiety. Through her affiliation with the MSH lab, Aashna hopes to expand her appreciation for the field of mindfulness and be able to translate those outcomes into her daily lifestyle as a medical student and future physician. 

She currently resides in Voorhees where she spends her free time teaching undergraduate students, volunteering at Voorhees Pediatric Facility, and is a co-President for SNMA (Students for National Medical Association). 

Upasna Singh (Summer 2019)

Undergraduate Intern, Cell and Molecular Biology & Spanish (Pre-Med)
Medical Student, Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine

Upasna graduated from West Chester University with a dual degree in Cell and Molecular Biology and Spanish. She is now a medical student at Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. As a yoga and meditation teacher, her fascination with the science behind mindfulness practices is what brought her into the MSH lab. Her interests include researching the effects of mindfulness interventions in diverse populations and in patients with psychological and emotional disorders. She plans to go to medical school to become a physician.

Upasna lives in Puerto Rico. She enjoys using her skillset to volunteer for underserved hispanic populations through non-profit organizations, including Community Volunteers in Medicine, La Comunidad Hispana, and the Garage. In addition to guiding yoga and meditation practices, she loves teaching an MMA-based workout - Les Mills BODYCOMBAT - at her local YMCA.

Frank DiAntonio (Summer 2019)

High School Diploma, Woodstown High School
Undergraduate Student, Stockton University

As a rising senior at Woodstown High School in Woodstown, NJ, Frank volunteered as summer research intern. He wanted to gain real world lab experience while working on a university campus, before beginning college. As a summer intern, Frank attended weekly lab meetings, participated in Mindfulness Journal Club, assisted with pilot testing new FitBit HR units, and helped create this new website! Frank is a big fan of NASCAR and Motorsports, as well as Robotics. He has been involved with FIRST Robotics for 9 years. As a captain of his robotics team for 2 years, Frank also has experience with the human player position. Frank plans to attend a 4 year college.

Jared Richards (2017-2019)

B.S. in Psychological Science, Rowan University
Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology, SUNY - Stony Brook

Jared graduated from Rowan as a Psychological Science major, earning the Dean's Outstanding Senior Award in Psychology. Jared spent 2-years working in the MSH Lab, where he conducted an Honors Program Independent Study his senior year. After graduating from Rowan, Jared spent 2-years as a full-time Research Coordinator with Dr. Kaite Gotham in the Social, Emotional, and Affective Health Lab (SEAHL). He is now pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at SUNY - Stony Brook.

Jared was born and raised in South Jersey. He attended high school in Moorestown, NJ, before moving to Glassboro to attend Rowan. He enjoys spending his free time visiting nearby family members, exploring nearby cities and nature trails, and making pretty great Spotify playlists.

Emily Barbera (2017-2018)

B.A. in Psychology, Rowan University
Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology, Palo Alto University

Emily graduated from Rowan as a Psychology major, after which she traveled to India and Tibet and spent 2-years working in the mental health field during the COVID-19 pandemic. During her time in the MSH Lab, Emily assisted with the "RU Mindful" online survey study. She also completed an Independent Study on the benefit of integrating mindfulness and nature for mental health, well-being, and pro-environmental behavior. She is now pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University, where she aims to focus on holistic health and nature-based approaches to mind-body wellness.

Hailing from NJ and now living in the Bay Area of California, Emily enjoys trekking, traveling the world, practicing meditation and yoga, and spending her free time connecting with nature.

Mikela Janal (2017-2018)

B.S. in Psychological Science, Rowan University
M.A./Ed.S. student in School School Psychology, Kean University

Mikela graduated from Rowan with her degree in Psychological Science, and worked in the MSH Lab for over a year. She is interested in a wide range of subjects within Clinical Psychology, including emotional disorders like anxiety and depression and how the practice of mindfulness and other interventions may influence these disorders. Mikela is now pursuing a graduate degree in the field of School Psychology. During her time with the MSH Lab, she found herself learning research skills and building a solid foundation for her future career in psychology.

Mikela lives in North Jersey. In her free time, she likes to exercise, hike when it’s nice out and binge watch her favorite shows.

Vanessa Anyanso (2017-2019)

B.A. in Psychology, Columbia University
Ph.D. student in Counseling Psychology, University of Minnesota

Vanessa served as the lead research coordinator for the Mindfulness, Stress & Health Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated from Columbia University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology.

Her main research interests encompass an integration of topics from social and clinical psychology, and she is currently a Ph.D. student in Counseling Psychology at the University of Minnesota. As a member of the MSH Lab, Vanessa focused on developing her skills as a young researcher and gaining perspective and experience in running clinical trials. She also conceptualized and led a mixed-methods study called Serenity for All, focused on mindfulness practice among people of color.

Jonathan Reda (2015-2019)

B.S. in Psychology, Drexel University
J.D., Seton Hall University

Jon served as a full-time research assistant and class coordinator for the Serenity Study at the University of Pennsylvania.  He earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology from Drexel University (Class of 2017).  Jon started working for the MSH Lab when he was an undergraduate student as part of the Drexel’s co-op system and then rejoined the lab after he graduated. Jon is interested in a wide range of subjects related to psychology, health, and law. He received his law degree from Seton Hall University.

Mary Keenan (2014-2017)

B.A. in Psychology, The University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Memphis
Postdoctoral Fellow, Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Mary served as the primary research coordinator of the MSH Lab at UPenn for three years. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 with a BA in psychology and gained important post-graduation research experience before starting graduate school in clinical health psychology at the University of Memphis. Mary recently finished internship at the University of Cincinnati Children's Medical Center and earned her PhD in 2023.

Personally, after being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 6, Mary has always searched for a way to help people dealing with physical illness. After working in a sleep research lab, and completing a senior thesis on the efficacy of a self-help cognitive-behavioral workbook for those with Crohn's disease, Mary discovered just how her personal passion could drive her professional career.  She was interested in furthering her understanding of the bidirectional relationship between physical and mental health processes while working in the MSH lab.  

In her career as a Clinical Health Psychologist, Mary looks forward to conducting research on adherence to medical treatment in those with Type 1 Diabetes and other chronic illnesses and using empirically-supported clinical techniques in a healthcare setting to help individuals cope with chronic illnesses.

Devin Barney (2015-2017)

B.A. in Psychology, The University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. student in Community & Cultural Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Devin served as a full time research assistant in the MSH Lab at UPenn, focused mainly on the Serenity Study. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (Class of 2015) with a Bachelor's degree in psychology, and is now pursuing his PhD in Community and Cultural Psychology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Devin's main research interests envelop topics in cultural and linguistic psychology. Before pursuing graduate study, he dedicated his time in the MSH Lab to growing as a young researcher and gaining perspective through experiences working with a multidisciplinary team. He learned about stress physiology, clinical and health psychology, and mindfulness in order to contextualize acculturation and acculturative stress research in possible health applications.

Sean Cleary (2015-2016)

M.S. in Mental Health Counseling, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Sean was a part-time research assistant for the MSH Lab at UPenn, where he assisted with both the Serenity Study and Serenity N.O.W.  Sean graduated from Drexel University in 2012 with a bachelor's in psychology.  He earned his masters degree in mental health counseling from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Sean also worked as a research assistant to Dr. Karl Rickels at UPenn's Mood and Anxiety Disorder Treatment and Research Program where he ran and interpreted analyses on the pharmacological treatment of MDD and GAD.

Currently, Sean works as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice. In his work, Sean integrates his knowledge of mindfulness and couseling to help individuals, couples, families, athletes, and teams create better cohesion between their mind and body. 

Valerie Tseng (2015-2016)

M.S. in Biotechnology, The University of Pennsylvania

With the interest in learning clinical trial regulation and related guidelines, Valerie first joined the Mindfulness, Stress & Health Lab at UPenn in anticipation of learning clinical trial design and coordination. Being intrigued by mindfulness meditation as a means to reduce stress and alleviate pathology, her work focused on how the 8-week MBSR program relieves pathological symptoms with corresponding changes in inflammatory biomarkers. As part of that work, she and Dr. Greeson explored whether mindfulness meditation modifies gene expression in the Nuclear Factor kappa B (NFkB) pathway. After earning her master's degree in Biotechnology, Valerie spent several years working in full-time research positions at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University. She currently works as a Software Design Consultant at Suvoda.

Anna Savage (2017)

B.S. in Psychology, Drexel University

As a Drexel co-op student, Anna worked as a research assistant in the Mindfulness, Stress & Health Lab at UPenn. For her first co-op, Anna was grateful to work with such a great team in the MSH Lab. She had a lot of interest in clinical and health psychology as an undergraduate student. As member of the Drexel Women’s Varsity Rowing team, Anna was aware of how important mental and physical health was, which is what drew her towards working with the MSH Lab. Like other Drexel co-op students who worked with the MSH Lab, Anna has been able use her experience as a stepping stone towards her career goals in the healthcare field. She currently works as a Clinical Trial Associate with Spark Therapeutics, Inc. 

Luke Miller (2017)

B.S. in Psychology, Drexel University
Ph.D. student in Clinical Neuropsychology, Louisiana State University

Luke worked in the MSH Lab at UPenn for the first of his three Drexel Co-ops. He chose to pursue the science of psychology due to his natural interest in learning more about the human mind and its interworking. Specifically, Luke planned planned to focus on the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with a clinical approach.  He chose to work with the MSH Lab because he felt it was a great opportunity to gain experience in clinical setting as well as the behind-the-scenes workings of a psychological research study. After completing the co-op, Luke feels that he built a great foundation of clinical and research skills all within a lively and supportive learning environment. He is currently a Ph.D. student in neuropsychology at LSU.

S. Adam Slawek (2016)

B.S. in Psychology, Drexel University

I was a research assistant in the MSH Lab for one of my Drexel co-ops. I originally began my time at Drexel as a Communications major. I ended up finding myself drawn mostly to the psychological components of my communications classes and decided to pursue a minor in psychology. I chose the MSH Lab as one of my co-ops because I was interested in getting direct one-on-one experience with individuals in preparation for my future career as a psychotherapist. My time working in the lab has also been a great opportunity to learn more about using mindfulness values and techniques as tools for future clients struggling with sexuality and gender related issues, which is a particular professional interest of mine.

Tucker Collins (2016)

B.S. in Neurochemistry, Drexel University
M.S. student in Neuroscience, Drexel University

I worked in the MSH lab for my final co-op at Drexel University. I am now a graduate student studying neuroscience at Drexel. I am interested in understanding how human experiences result from continual adaptation in the brain, as well as how interpersonal variation leads to different experiences. Through research I ultimately wish to be able to explain how we can alter our brain through everyday routines - to overcome fear and anxiety, enhance skill-building and memory, and improve happiness - by understanding the manner in which our brain is impacted by our own experiences and genetics. I chose to work in the MSH lab as a way of gaining experience with relating our mental state (calm, anxious, angry, etc.) to our bodily response to stress, which is known to have a broad systemic impact throughout our bodies.

Alejandro Rodriguez (2015)

B.A. in Psychology, The University of Pennsylvania

As a senior Psychology major at the University of Pennsylvania, I worked with Dr. Greeson on an independent study that examined the association between changes in mindfulness and positive psychology variables, including gratitude, self-compassion, positive states of mind, and life satisfaction, as part of a recently completed trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at Duke University. My involvement in the Mindfulness, Stress & Health lab was a valuable introductory experience to doing research, building on the interest I discovered in Mindfulness and Positive Psychology through a course at Penn.

Lauren Church (2015)

B.A. in Psychology, The University of Pennsylvania

As a senior Psychology major and Marketing minor at the University of Pennsylvania, I worked with Dr. Greeson and Alejandro Rodriguez on an independent study that examined the association between changes in mindfulness and positive psychology variables from an MBSR trial at Duke. As a member of the Varsity Swim team, I was interested in the benefits of mindfulness in stressful, competitive environments. Research with Dr. Greeson and his team provided valuable experience developing interpersonal and critical thinking skills, as I plan to pursue careers in Marketing and Public Relations.