Dr. Felver is an assistant professor of psychology at Syracuse University and director of the Mind Body Laboratory. His research focuses on contemplative interventions to promote self-regulation, with special focus on mindfulness-based interventions. He is particularly interested in how contemplative interventions can be implemented in public school settings with students and teachers to support academic functioning and classroom behavior, and in families to improve parent-child communication and parent emotional regulation. His current research projects include: pilot trials of school-based contemplative curricula (i.e., Learning to BREATHE, Kripalu Yoga in the Schools, Soles of the Feet for Students), mindfulness-based interventions for young adults in college settings (i.e., Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction), and laboratory-based research exploring the psychophysiological effects of mindfulness-interventions on self-regulatory processes and stress.
Currently a Ph.D. Student in Education at UC Davis, I am interested in cognition, the body, and embodied contemplative practices. I am investigating the effects that a school-based yoga intervention has on children’s self-regulation from an embodied cognitive scientific perspective. I am interested in qualitatively exploring the effects these programs have on teachers’ perceptions of teaching quality. I am a Graduate Research Assistant on a project examining the impact yoga may have on preschoolers who show signs of impulsivity and hyperactivity at the MIND Institute. I also work as a Graduate Student Research in lab that examines the ways wearable technologies and video games increase adolescents’ awareness around health. I am the Principal Investigator of “Stories From the Mat,” a study examining literacy practices of yoga instructors and the ways in which instructors’ stories showcases their lived experiences and the connections they experience between their practice and writing.
I completed my PhD in developmental psychology from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, with a minor in human genetics. Currently I am a post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia. My adviser is Michael Kobor, PhD. Broadly, I am interested in the biological embedding of early life trauma and the manner by which children show resilience despite experiencing adversity. More specifically I am interested in how trauma may alter the activity of children’s genes, through epigenetic processes, to undermine psychological and physical health. Equally, I am fascinated with how positive life experiences, such as mindfulness exercises, constructive parenting, and compassionate friendship can counteract the impacts of trauma. Understanding the epigenetics of both trauma and positive environments may aid in more productive efforts to improve children’s lives.
