Kennedy M. Blevins, PhD

Research Interests  

• Mindfulness and self-compassion interventions
• Applicability of mindfulness-based interventions across contexts
• Cardiovascular health, women’s health, and health disparities
• Cultural schemas and emotion in relation to holistic health (i.e., physical and mental well-being rather than just the absence of illness)  

Experience and Current Work  

Dr. Kennedy Blevins is trained as a health psychologist. Her work focuses on how culture relates to the biopsychosocial model of disease, especially in African American women in relation to cardiovascular health. As a postdoctoral research fellow, she investigates the role of mindfulness interventions and self-compassion as tools for improving holistic health, especially for women, historically marginalized populations, and those who have limited access to integrative health modalities. She is also interested in how the delivery of interventions (e.g., digital, provider characteristics) may relate to the cultural applicability of mindfulness and self-compassion interventions both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Education and Training  

• PhD, Psychological Science University of California, Irvine

• MA, Social Ecology, University of Califonria, Irivne

• BA, Psychology, California State University, Long Beach  

Publications  

Blevins, K. M., Fields, N., Pressman, S.D., Erving, C. L., Martin, Z. T., Moore, R., Murden, R., Parker, R., Udaipuria, S., Booker, B., Culler, L., Vaccarino, V., Quyyumi, A., Lewis, T. T. (Under Review). Superwoman Schema and Arterial Stiffness in Black American Women: Assessing the Role of Environmental Mastery.

Blevins, K. M., Pressman, S.D., & Sherman, D.K. (2024). Self-affirmation for stress protection. In S.D. Pressman & A.C. Parks, More Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology: A guide for instructors. American Psychological Association Press.