Girija Kaimal, EdD, ATR-BC

Dr. Girija Kaimal (EdD, ATR-BC) is Professor and Chair of the Creative Arts Therapies at Drexel University. In her Health, Arts, Learning, and Evaluation (HALE) research lab, she examines the physiological and psychological health outcomes of visual and narrative self-expression. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, and two books, including: The Expressive Instinct (Oxford University Press), and Arts-based approaches to support mental health and well-being (Routledge).

Her research has been continually funded since 2008 by federal agencies such as the Department of Defense, Department of Education, National Endowment for the Arts, and foundation and academic centers. Her work has been featured by a range of media outlets worldwide, including NPR, CNN, and The New York Times. Her research studies examine outcomes of art therapy for post-traumatic stress among military service members, an integrated nutrition and creative arts therapies intervention for post-menopausal women, and arts-based approaches to mitigate chronic stress among patients and caregivers in pediatric hematology/oncology units.

Additional international research projects include examining the therapeutic underpinnings of indigenous and traditional art forms. Living out her research interests, she has been a lifelong visual artist and her art explores the intersection of identity and representation of emotion. Dr. Kaimal has a doctorate from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Master of Arts from Drexel University, and, Bachelor's in Design from the National Institute of Design in India.