Stephanie Bryan, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor Health Sciences and Health & Physical Education
About
Stephanie Bryan, Ph.D., is an accomplished researcher, professor, and health and exercise science professional whose career reflects an enduring commitment to improving health and well-being through education, research, and service. Her work is particularly focused on expanding access to the benefits of preventive health practices and positive health behaviors, including among underserved populations.
As a professor of health and exercise science, Dr. Bryan approaches health and human flourishing from a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective, recognizing the interconnected roles of physical, psychological, social, behavioral, and spiritual well-being. Her research and scholarly interests include mindfulness, meditation, yoga, exercise adherence, spiritual well-being, gratitude, health behavior change, and strategies for improving health and quality of life. She has also collaborated with colleagues on research examining the relationship between social media and health and well-being.
Dr. Bryan has a particular interest in translating health science into practices that can improve everyday life. She is the author of a children’s picture book on gratitude and co-author of a peer-reviewed paper examining the health benefits of gratitude. Together, these works bring the science and practice of gratitude to both children and adults, with the goal of encouraging gratitude as a lifelong practice that can support physical, psychological, and social well-being.
Her professional experience bridges academia and practice. While raising four children and completing degrees in Adult Fitness, Exercise Science, and Health Sciences, Dr. Bryan worked in corporate and commercial fitness, owned and operated a yoga and fitness studio for a decade, and built a career in higher education. These experiences continue to inform her teaching and her emphasis on connecting scientific knowledge with practical approaches to health and well-being.
Community service has been a cornerstone of Dr. Bryan’s personal and professional life. Her service has included teaching exercise through her church; providing yoga and exercise programming for children in foster care through Children’s Aid and Family Services; serving individuals experiencing homelessness through New York City Relief and Market Street Mission; working with children through the Fuller Center in Boca Raton, Florida; and providing gentle chair yoga and wellness programming for older adults at the Plainfield Senior Center. Through these experiences, Dr. Bryan has had the opportunity to promote health and well-being among individuals across generations and from diverse communities. Her commitment to service reflects a central principle of her work: that service, human connection, gratitude, and caring for others are themselves important contributors to individual and community well-being.
Dr. Bryan also writes about the science and practice of health, translating research on movement, mindfulness, gratitude, well-being, and healthy behavior into accessible information for the public.
Explore Dr. Bryan’s science and practice of health blog and research.
Career & Accomplishments
Degrees
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•B.A. Kean University
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•M.S. Kean University
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•Ph.D. Seton Hall University
Research & Publications
Peer Reviewed Research Dr. Stephanie Bryan
Bryan, S., Hamilton, M., & Zimny, D. (2026). Beyond the feed: Academic, emotional, and social consequences of social media use among college students. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 11(1), 1–47. https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2601012
Bryan, S., & Hamilton, M. (2024). An overview of gratitude as a mind-body-spirit practice in optimizing health and human functioning. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 9(1), 008. https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2401008
Bryan, S., Hamilton, M., Garrels, J., Ruhlen, M., & Zipp, G. (2023). Innovation in health programming: College students benefit from an array of complementary approaches to health improvement framed by the biopsychosocial-spiritual model. American Journal of Health Education, 54(2), 135–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2022.2163009
Bryan, S., Zipp, G., & Breitkreuz, D. (2021). The effects of mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga on spiritual well-being in cancer survivors: A pilot study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 27(3), 32–38.
Bryan, S. (2016). Mindfulness and nutrition in college age students. Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences, 12, 68–74. https://doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2016.12.11
Bryan, S., & Pinto Zipp, G. (2014). The effect of mindfulness meditation techniques during yoga and cycling. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 20(6), 306–316.
Bryan, S., Parasher, R., Cahill, T., & Pinto Zipp, G. (2013). Yoga, mindful eating, and weight management. Journal of Nutritional Therapeutics, 2(4), 173–181.
Bryan, S., Pinto Zipp, G., & Parasher, R. (2012). The effects of yoga on psychosocial variables and exercise adherence: A randomized, controlled pilot study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 18(5), 50–59.
Book and Community Scholarship
Bryan, S. A new day for thank you.
Dr. Bryan is the author of the children’s picture book A New Day for Thank You, which introduces children to the practice of gratitude and encourages them to recognize and appreciate the positive people, experiences, and moments in their everyday lives.
The book complements Dr. Bryan’s peer-reviewed research on the health and well-being benefits of gratitude and reflects an important focus of her scholarly and community work: translating the science of health and well-being into practical strategies that can benefit people across generations.
Dr. Bryan has also developed a gratitude presentation for elementary school children that brings the concepts from the book into schools and community settings, combining education, gratitude practice, and service.