Rutgers Emotion, Health, and Behavior (REHAB) Laboratory

 

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Welcome to The REHAB Laboratory!

We are a training and research laboratory in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University, located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The REHAB Laboratory conducts experimental and treatment research at the intersection of clinical psychology and behavioral medicine. Broadly, our research aims to understand why and how anxiety influences cardiovascular health and risk behaviors (e.g., tobacco use, physical inactivity, alcohol use). Our lab focus on both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, with an emphasis on women’s health. Our work is rooted in the NIH’s Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) to behavior change initiative which emphasizes identification and measurement of psychological mechanisms that influence behavior with the goal of developing highly-specified interventions that directly target the hypothesized mechanisms of change. The REHAB Lab utilizes a translational research approach, including 1) naturalistic studies using ecological momentary assessment, 2) measurement development and evaluation, 3) human laboratory experiments, 4) treatment development, and 5) early-stage clinical trials.

The primary mission of The REHAB Laboratory is to improve the physical and psychological well-being of our community. Our secondary mission is to train and educate students to be well-rounded clinical scientists and practitioners in clinical psychology and cardiovascular behavioral medicine.

Explore our website to find out more about our research, team, and current projects!

Dr. Farris WILL be reviewing applications for admissions for 2026-2027 Clinical Psychology PhD program. Applicants with an interest in anxiety, exercise, women's health and cardiovascular disease are best suited for the REHAB Lab.

The REHAB Lab is NOT currently accepting new applications for undergraduate research assistants—please check our website periodically for new openings!

REHAB Lab, or Rutgers Emotion, Health, and Behavior Lab, Graphic featuring sections for A Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective with a cycle of thoughts, physical and emotional feelings, and behaviors to explain how anxiety can influence health behaviors and heart health, and vice versa; Cardiovascular Behavioral Health with images of a heart, a person running, a no smoking sign, and a wine glass to describe primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and identify, measure, and target anxiety mechanisms to improve heart health and change risk behaviors; Women's Health Emphasis describing women being more prone to anxiety, women being less physically active and more likely to use substance to cope with emotion, and women having unique biological risk for cardiovascular disease; and Translational Research Approach describing five steps in the approach including ecological momentary assessment, measurement development and evaluation, human laboratory experiments, treatment development, and treatment efficacy testing. The image has a 2026 Copyright to Samantha Farris, PhD, All Rights Reserved