Nicholas SantaBarbara, PhD

Dr. SantaBarbara is a T32 postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry within the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and is advised primarily by Dr. Scott Comulada. Dr. SantaBarbara recieved his Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Stonehill College, Master’s degrees in Strength and Conditioning from Bridgewater State University and in Applied Exercise Physiology from Columbia University, and a PhD in Kinesiology from Columbia University. His research interests include assessing the effects of exercise, and more specifically resistance exercise, as a method to treat and prevent chronic disease. Dr. SantaBarbara comes to UCLA with a wealth of experience working on large scale NIH-funded clinical trials which have tested the effects of resistance exercise on smoking cessation, depression, and cardiovascular risk, and on several other smaller trials including ones which have tested the effects of resistance exercise on the mental and physical health in adults living with HIV. His current research looks to extend his early work with people living with HIV by focusing on the mechanisms that support improvements in medication adherence with exercise. Dr. SantaBarbara is an avid exerciser, Boston sports fan, and enjoys spending time with his wife Jenni, son Mikey, and two golden retrievers Stella and Thor.

Contact: NSantabarbara@mednet.ucla.edu