From left: Julie Exline, PhD, Marina Weiler, PhD, and J. Kim Penberthy, PhD
The UVA Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) in the Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences is making headlines with the announcement of a new research director, a press release about new faculty research on out-of-body experiences and stress, and a great educational seminar that appealed to a diverse crowd.
Julie Exline, PhD, a national leader in researching spiritual struggles and explanations for extraordinary human experiences, has been named research director of the division beginning July 1. Exline, who will also serve as the Bonner-Lowry Professor in the UVA School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, comes to DOPs from Case Western Reserve University, where she has been a faculty member for 25 years and served as director of clinical training for the doctorate program in clinical psychology. Throughout her career, Exline has secured approximately $8 million in funding for her research, about half of which for projects where she served as primary investigator.
“She has become highly adept in the research arena, acquiring funding, designing and implementing studies, using open science methods, analyzing data, leading research teams, collaborating with co-authors and disseminating findings through publishing, presenting, media outreach, teaching and clinical work,” said Anita Clayton, MD, chair of UVA’s Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. “Importantly, Dr. Exline has achieved these goals while working in an area that has often been overlooked and underfunded within mainstream psychology.”
In other headlines, School of Medicine Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences Marina Weiler, PhD, and colleagues have released new research showing that out-of-body experiences—where people feel like spirits disconnected from their physical form—may be a coping mechanism triggered by trauma or other overwhelming stress. The idea challenges the common assumption that out-of-body experiences, or OBEs, are solely a symptom of mental illness. Based on data from more than 500 people, Dr. Weiler and other researchers argue for a more nuanced perspective: that OBEs may highlight an underlying issue that could be a better treatment target than the out-of-body experiences themselves.
At a UVA Lifetime Learning seminar, J. Kim Penberthy, PhD, a clinical psychologist and professor in the UVA Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences’ Division of Perceptual Studies, discussed her research into the effects of meditation and altered states of consciousness on well-being and healing from prolonged grief, as well as studies on after-death communication and their prevalence and impact on mental health. Dr. Penberthy’s talk explored how these practices and experiences can influence mental health, provide support for those in grief, and expand our understanding of human consciousness. She presented the practical implications and scientific insights emerging from this work, and how they contribute to ongoing conversations about the mind, healing, and resilience. The lecture received widespread interest and attendance from supporters across UVA and the community.