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 In the PARCI Lab, we use scientific methods from behavioral psychology and dissemination & implementation as well as the art, practice, philosophy and science of yoga to help people live the good life, or to flourish.

We measure the Flourishing Index (a holistic measure of happiness, life satisfaction, mental and physical health) and capture people’s lived experiences through qualitative methodologies.

The communities we serve are vast—from cancer survivors to academics ourselves—and we always use a participatory approach to answer questions that are both empirically and practically meaningful.

Principal investigator

"In the PARCI lab, I have the privilege of training scientists and practitioners to impact the lives of others. As a registered yoga instructor and academic, I use science and the personal experience of clients, participants, and myself to promote that being active can change your life: You can avoid chronic disease, feel better in your body & mind, and maintain or find a better quality of life."

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Samantha M. Harden, PhD, 500 RYT

Are you an undergraduate student who wants to work in my lab? Complete this application (linked to the icon and here).

We believe
Yoga principles could be piercing academia, public health, and the healthcare system.


Our Vision

Use our talents, expertise, and passion to serve others.

We accomplish this through evidence-based adaptations, training, and evaluation to ensure the best fit intervention is adopted and sustained within practice settings.

our

Our Values:
We demonstrate our commitment to these values through

  1. Vulnerability and resiliency. Acknowledging and embracing when we don’t know the answer… . We ask questions, early and often.

  2. Flexibility and humor. Remembering that nothing is perfect, but we commit ourselves to our efforts.

  3. Appreciation of excellence in effort. Offer insight to each other to bring out quality in work (feedback on slides, elevator pitch, papers, etc.).

  4. Stability. Mentor those less senior in the lab and seek mentorship from those more senior in the lab. Ensure adequate resource allocation (time, money, personnel).

  5. Clear, honest communication, complete with active listening.

Frazier, PhD Student
Translational Biology, Medicine, + Health

Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program

Goofball cyclist. Food fiend. Excited about dissemination & implementation science. Enjoys sweaty yoga, waving at dogs, making playlists, finishing a good book, and playing outside. Would love to teach you basic bike maintenance.

Current ResearcH Personnel

Megan Pullin, M.S., 500 RYT

Yoga Therapist and Program Manager

FIRE with a dash of WHITEWATER. Yoga Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Amateur Martial Artist. Enjoys lifting heavy things, deeeeep belly laughs, kicking it with my dawgs and dogs, trail runs with hair blowing in the wind, playing harmonium, and digging in the dirt. Believes that all beings deserve the space to step into their full potential! Let's create it together!

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RESEARCH

Yoga poses, practices, and methodologies align with scientifically rigorous interventions for health promotion across fields such as physiology, psychology, and neuroscience. However, this work has been predominantly clinical or translational, and it has missed an opportunity to leverage community settings where people are already practicing yoga. A bidirectional, translational pipeline that equally values research and practice evidence can identify empirical gaps, support rigorous studies to close those gaps, and have partnerships with myriad individuals who are able to promote yoga as well as its influence on individual and societal health.

OUTREACH

25% of my appointment is with Virginia Cooperative Extension where I serve as the physical activity specialist of the Commonwealth. Our goal is to equip county-based agents across the Commonwealth and the nation in feeling confident and competent in selecting, adapting, delivering, and evaluating evidence-based  interventions using social connection, physical activity, breathwork, and moment-to-moment awareness as pracices to promote intra-and inter-personal health.

TEACHING

My teaching and mentorship includes:

- Leadership on the RE-AIM framework

-Instructing a Dissemination and Implementation science graduate course

- Facilitating a study abroad that explores yoga and Blue Zones principles in in Nosara, Costa Rica

-Guidance for junior faculty (personal and professional)

-Overseeing incredible undergraduate and graduate scholars

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Clinician Research mentees

Current + past undergraduate research assistants

past graduate students

With Gratitude to Our Primary Funders

VCE Physical activity team members

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Title: Group-based exercise intervention for endometrial cancer survivors: Exploration of physical activity and quality of life impact

 iTHRIV Scholars Mentored Career Development Program (iTSP); KL2-funded

Members: Armrbuster (Carilion, PI); Harden (VT) and Zoellner (UVA) co mentors

Date: July 1, 2022-June 30, 2024

Title: Yoga Inspired Movement: A multilevel approach to improve yoga self-efficacy, yoga practice, and health outcomes

Members: Harden (VT)

Date: September 1,2021- August 31, 2026

Title: Iterative adaptations of an evidence-based healthy lifestyle program for endometrial cancer survivors and their support network

Members: Harden (VT) + Armrbuster (Carilion + McCrickard (VT)

Date: July 1, 2022-June 30, 2022

Title: Translational Obesity Undergraduate Research Scholars (TOURS) (GRANT12551118)

Members: Good (VT), Harden (VT), Evans-Hoeker (VT Carilion School of Medicine)

Date: September 1, 2018--June 30, 2023

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