Sybil Hart, PhD
Dr. Sybil Hart is a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Texas Tech University. She received her Ph.D. in psychology at Tufts University. During an appointment at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, she was trained in massage therapy by Dr. Tiffany Field, the world's leading authority on touch and massage therapy. With Dr. Field and colleagues, and through funding from the National Institutes of Health and the March of Dimes, Dr. Hart conducted studies on the beneficial effects of massage on the health and well-being of individuals, from pre-mature infants to adults, and in environments that include schools, hospitals, residential treatment facilities, and the home. She has authored scholarly papers on massage that appeared in Early Child Development and Care, Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation, Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, Preventive Medicine, Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the International Journal of Neuroscience.
Dr. Hart's studies also focus on the beneficial effects of breastfeeding. These have been published in professional journals in the fields of pediatric psychology, developmental psychology, nutrition, and environmental toxicology. As a leading authority on infant and child emotional development, her research on parent-child interaction has been featured in Newsweek, Parenting, Parents, and numerous international media outlets. The mother of three, she lives in Lubbock, Texas, and Miami Beach, Florida, and enjoys travel, skiing, and reading.
Photo by Artie Limmer of Texas Tech University News & Publications
