Amelia D. Saul, PhD, CTRS, BCB, is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Rehabilitation and Recreational Therapy Program at Florida International University, specializing in heart rate variability (HRV) and biofeedback-based interventions for stress and mental health. She is a Recreational Therapist and holds a PhD in Rehabilitation and Addictions Counseling Administration with advanced training in biofeedback.
Her research focuses on the use of HRV to evaluate and improve stress regulation in young adults. Her dissertation examined the effects of a two-week, at-home paced breathing intervention on anxiety and HRV in college students. Her research also includes NIH funded grants such as the Mindful Minds project which investigates the feasibility of mindfulness-based neurofeedback to reduce performance anxiety and enhance academic outcomes in college students. In a complementary NIH funded project, she investigates HRV as an early indicator of cardiovascular risk among young adults with a family history of heart disease.
Dr. Saul’s work bridges physiological data and therapeutic practice, with the goal of integrating evidence-based biofeedback tools into accessible, preventative approaches to health and wellness.
Research Areas
- Stress management
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Biofeedback, specifically heart rate variability biofeedback training
- Preventative interventions for individuals with a family history of cardiovascular disease
- Biofeedback intervention for individuals diagnosed with COVID-19