Assistant Clinical Professor, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
Graduate Director
My primary research interests are broadly focused on the use of exercise for the treatment and prevention of chronic disease. Much of my work to date has included marginalized, hard-to-reach and often stigmatized populations such as substance users, those with mental illness, and people living with HIV. Some of my more recent work has also focused on developing scalable and sustainable workplace wellness programs that combine regular exercise and nutrition education to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
SantaBarbara N, Rezai R, Terry E, Shedd K, Comulada WS. Preliminary Efficacy and Acceptability of an Online Exercise and Nutrition Workplace Wellness Program: A Brief Report. Workplace Health Saf. 2022 Feb;70(2):90-96. doi: 10.1177/21650799211037528. Epub 2021 Sep 24. PubMed PMID: 34558353.
SantaBarbara NJ, Nosrat S, Arnold EM, Swendeman D, Comulada WS. Intersection of COVID-19, HIV and exercise: a commentary with home-based exercise recommendations for practice. AIDS Care. 2022 Feb;34(2):188-192. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2021.1998312. Epub 2021 Nov 7. PubMed PMID: 34743617; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8857034.
Rezai R, SantaBarbara N, Almirol E, Shedd K, Terry E, Park M, Comulada WS. Efficacy and costs of a workplace wellness programme. Occup Med (Lond). 2020 Dec 30;70(9):649-655. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqaa189. PubMed PMID: 33289018; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7773169.
SantaBarbara NJ, Swendeman D, Arnold EM, Nosrat S, Comulada WS. Exercise and antiretroviral adherence in adults living with HIV: A systematic review. J Health Psychol. 2020 Oct 26;:1359105320967421. doi: 10.1177/1359105320967421. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33106045; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8330843.
SantaBarbara NJ, Nosrat S, Whitworth JW, Ciccolo JT. Acute Psychological Effects of Resistance Exercise in Men With Symptoms of Muscle Dysmorphia: A Pilot Study. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 Apr 23;. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003615. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32332260.
Whitworth JW, Nosrat S, SantaBarbara NJ, Ciccolo JT. Feasibility of Resistance Exercise for Posttraumatic Stress and Anxiety Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study. J Trauma Stress. 2019 Dec;32(6):977-984. doi: 10.1002/jts.22464. Epub 2019 Nov 19. PubMed PMID: 31743507.
Whitworth JW, Nosrat S, SantaBarbara NJ, Ciccolo JT. High intensity resistance training improves sleep quality and anxiety in individuals who screen positive for post traumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled feasibility trial. Mental health and physical activity. 2019 November; 16:43-49.
Busch AM, Louie ME, SantaBarbara NJ, Ajayi AA, Gleason N, Dunsiger SI, Carey MP, Ciccolo JT. Effects of resistance training on depression and cardiovascular disease risk in Black men: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Ment Health Phys Act. 2019 Oct;17. doi: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2019.100299. Epub 2019 Sep 12. PubMed PMID: 32863882; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7451250.
Busch AM, Louie ME, SantaBarbara NJ, Ajayi AA, Gleason N, Dunsiger SI, Carey MP, Ciccolo JT. Effects of resistance training on depression and cardiovascular disease risk in Black men: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Ment Health Phys Act. 2019 Oct;17. doi: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2019.100299. Epub 2019 Sep 12. PubMed PMID: 32863882; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7451250.
Nosrat S, Whitworth JW, SantaBarbara NJ, Dunsiger SI, Ciccolo JT. Acute Effects of Resistance-Exercise Intensity in Depressed Black/African Americans Living With HIV: A Randomized Pilot Study. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2019 Aug 6;:1-10. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2018-0301. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31387082.
SantaBarbara NJ, Whitworth JW, Ciccolo JT. A Systematic Review of the Effects of Resistance Training on Body Image. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Oct;31(10):2880-2888. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002135. PubMed PMID: 28723817.
Whitworth JW, SantaBarbara NJ, Nosrat S, Ciccolo JT, LaBrec JE, Louie ME. Exercise behavior and gender-related differences in post traumatic stress disorder. Psychology of sport and exercise. 2017 February; 33:18-23.
Ciccolo JT, Whitworth JW, Dunsiger SI, SantaBarbara NJ, Nosrat S, LaBrec JE. Acute effects of resistance exercise on affect, arousal, and urge to drink in temporarily abstinent young adult hazardous drinkers.Am J Addict. 2016 Dec;25(8):623-627. doi: 10.1111/ajad.12440. Epub 2016 Sep 26. PubMed PMID: 27717078.
Ciccolo JT, SantaBarbara NJ, Dunsiger SI, Busch AM, Bartholomew JB. Muscular strength is associated with self-esteem in college men but not women. J Health Psychol. 2016 Dec;21(12):3072-3078. doi: 10.1177/1359105315592051. Epub 2015 Jul 13. PubMed PMID: 26169439.
Nosrat S, Whitworth JW, Dunsiger SI, SantaBarbara NJ, Ciccolo JT. Acute effects of resistance exercise in a depressed HIV sample: The exercise for people who are immunocompromised (EPIC Study). Mental health and physical activity. 2016 May; 31(10):2880-2888.
An ecology lab created by Associate Professor Bill McDowell gets students wading in Mendel Pond to learn how to track crayfish and goldfish that live there.
