Positive emotions, cognitions, and motivations are shaped by our cultural backgrounds, and current contexts, with important implications for physical health. Yet, much of the research on positive psychology has relied on WEIRD (White, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) samples, limiting our understanding of how these constructs operate in diverse populations. Given the persistent health disparities affecting individuals from marginalized backgrounds, clarifying the links between positive psychological factors and health using a cultural and contextual lens is critical. Advancing this understanding is essential for informing more inclusive interventions and promoting health equity.

Kennedy Blevins, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco Osher Center for Integrative Health. She is a health psychologist and earned her PhD in Psychological Science and MA in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Blevins is a former Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship recipient and served as co-Principal Investigator of the Superwoman Schema Psychophysiological Correlates of Cardiovascular Disease Risks among Black Women Study, funded by the UC END DISPARITIES Pilot Project Awards. Her research examines positive psychological factors--such as positive emotion, mastery, mindfulness, and compassion--across cultures and contexts, and their implications for health outcomes and interventions. Much of her work focuses on these factors as leverage points for Black women’s cardiovascular and respiratory health, using biosalivary and ecological momentary assessment methods.

The Osher Center for Integrative Health hosts monthly research seminars that are open to the research and clinical community at large. Seminars are held from September to June and are generally virtual. Presentations cover a wide range of topics relating to integrative health, many with a focus on integrative health equity.

Research Seminars are organized by Osher research faculty, Ariana Thompson-Lastad, PhD. Please contact Julia Wu (julia.wu@ucsf.edu) with any questions.

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