Crystal Park

Crystal Park is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Connecticut, where she chairs InCHIP’s Cancer Research Interest Group. Her research examines stress, coping, and adaptation processes, particularly focusing on meaning-making frameworks in trauma, health psychology, and the psychology of religion/spirituality.

Education:

• Postdoctoral fellowship at University of California-San Francisco (1993-1995)
• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Delaware (1993)
• M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania (1988)
• B.S. in Psychology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania (1985)

Dr. Park's research investigates how belief systems influence coping with traumatic events and health crises. She has developed a comprehensive model of meaning-making applied to cancer survivorship, military trauma, and chronic illness. Her work on mind-body connections includes pioneering studies on yoga's therapeutic mechanisms and development of translational tools for yoga research.

Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on trauma adaptation, religion/spirituality, and health behaviors. Recent work emphasizes longitudinal designs examining psychological predictors of health outcomes, mechanisms of mind-body interventions, and cross-cultural adaptations of meaning-making frameworks. Methodological strengths include daily diary studies, clinical trials, and mixed-methods approaches.

Honors and Awards:

• Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor
• Fellow of the American Psychological Association
• William James Award for contributions to psychology of religion/spirituality
• Early Career Award from APA Division 36

Dr. Park directs the Spirituality, Meaning, and Health Lab, mentoring graduate and undergraduate researchers. She currently leads multiple NIH-funded projects including studies on yoga as stress management, academic self-regulation in college students, and instrument development for yoga research. Additional grants support work on lifestyle interventions for breast cancer survivors.