PETER GRYFFIN
Graduate School Fellow

Office:		FLG 69
Address:		P.O. Box 118210 Gainesville, Fl 32611-8210
Contact:		(352) 392-0583 ext. 1254 pgryffin@hhp.ufl.edu

Biography:

Peter A. Gryffin is adoctoral candidate in the Department of Health Education and Behavior. His research at the University of Florida includes social marketing and health education theory towards the effective diffusion of Tai Chi in society. Mr. Gryffin has additional research interests in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), as well as meditative practices for positive health behaviors, particularly in dealing with addiction.

Mr. Gryffin is also using his 25 years of experience in Tai Chi and Qi Gong to develop a practical understanding of the mechanisms underlying the many reported benefits of Tai Chi, and has documented an effect on blood oxygen saturation unique from conventional exercises. He is currently working with the Shands Arts in Medicine program, to promote an effective form of group tai chi practice he had developed while at Fullerton College.

 Mr. Gryffin returned to graduate school following 10 years of teaching at Fullerton College, in large part due to the many benefits reported by students in his Tai Chi class. He has written for magazines as well as juried publications, documenting the benefits, theory, and recommendations relating to Tai Chi and other alternative health practices

For more information on his research and background, please visit his website at:
https://sites.google.com/site/essentialtaichi/

Research Interests:

• •  Application of health education theory for effective program design and promotion
  • Effective social marketing of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), particularly Tai Chi among the senior population
  •  Collaboration with the medical community for accurate research on the physiological benefits of Tai Chi and mechanisms of action