EUEmory University · Psychology
Caregiver Well-Being Research Lab
James K Rilling · Atlanta, Georgia
Research Focus
Dr. James K. Rilling's lab at Emory University focuses on improving the well-being of caregivers for individuals with dementia through cognitive empathy training. The research explores how this training impacts mental health, inflammation, and immune function, utilizing various psychological and neurobiological assessments. The ultimate aim is to support caregivers in managing stress better while providing care for their loved ones.
cognitive empathydementia caregiversmental healthinflammationimmune functionpsychological mechanismsneurobiological mechanismscaregiver well-beingdepressionstress
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the effectiveness of cognitive empathy training on caregiver mental health.
AIM 02Assess changes in immune function and inflammation in caregivers after training.
AIM 03Examine the psychological mechanisms that underpin improvements in caregiver well-being.
AIM 04Measure neurobiological responses in caregivers via fMRI during empathy tasks.
AIM 05Evaluate the quality of the caregiver-recipient relationship pre- and post-training.
Skills the Lab Values
fMRIbloodspot samplingquestionnaire designstatistical analysisqualitative interviewingcross-over study designphotography for researchself-report assessmentsbiomarker analysisdata interpretation
Output against the department
Publications162top 46% of dept.137th of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations21ktop 10% of dept.31st of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
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