Educational Background
Ph.D. 1993, Rutgers University
M.S. 1988, Rutgers University
B.S. 1984, University of Illinois - Champaign/Urbana

Research Interests
Research interests focus on health promotion, disease prevention and decision-making particularly for planned change at both the individual level and on a population basis. Current efforts centered on a program of research utilizing the Transtheoretical model to understand decision-making and behavior change in organ donation & transplantation, blood donation, advanced care planning and multiple health behavior change.

Professional Interests
Clinical health psychology emphasizing a cognitive-behavioral framework to develop and deliver behavioral medicine and health psychology interventions to adults in individual and group settings. Additional interests are in training development and delivery, motivational interviewing, stress reduction, including relaxation training and meditative techniques.

Research Grants
Principal Investigator, Feasibility of Expert System to Promote African American Blood Donation for SCD (Sickle Cell Disease) (2009-2011). National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 1R21HL092390. Awarded: $434,188.

Co-Investigator, Treatment Goals at the End of Life. (2006-2009). National Institute of Aging. Awarded: $1,533,812. Principal Investigator: Terri R. Fried.

Co-Investigator, Maintenance in Multiple Behaviors with Emphasis on Aging. (2006-2010). National Institute of Aging, R01 AG024490. Awarded: $738,000. Principal Investigator: James O. Prochaska.

Principal Investigator, Community and Tailored Expert System Interventions to Increase Organ Donation Intent Among African Americans (2004-2007). Awarded: $ 1,078,385. Health Resources and Services Administration, Division of Transplantation.

Graduate Student Research
Creeden, C. (2009).Validation of the measures of the transtheoretical model for exercise in and adult African American sample. Masters Thesis

Doucet, J. (2009).Qualitative examination of satisfaction with three expert system interventions to reduce cancer. Doctoral Dissertation

Burditt, C. (2008).Motivation for blood donation among African Americans: developing measures for decisional and efficacy constructs. Masters Thesis

Selected Publications
Blaney, C., Robbins, M.L., Paiva, A., Redding, C.A., Rossi, J.S., Blissmer, B., Burditt, C., & Oatley, K. (In press). Validation of the measures of the transtheoretical model for exercise in an adult African American sample. American Journal of Health Promotion.

Fried, T.R., Redding, C.A., Robbins, M.L., Paiva, A., R. O'Leary, J. R., & Iannone, L. (In Press). Stages of Change for the Component Behaviors of Advance Care Planning. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Waterman, A., Robbins, M.L., Paiva, A., & Hyland, S. (2010). Kidney Patients' Intention to Receive a Deceased Donor Transplant: Development of Stage of Change, Decisional Balance, and Self-Efficacy Measures. Journal of Health Psychology, 15, 436-445.

Burditt, C., Robbins, M.L., Paiva, A., Velicer, W.F., Koblin, B., & Kessler, D. (2009). Motivation for Blood Donation among African Americans: Developing Measures for Stage of Change, Decisional and Efficacy Constructs. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32, 429-42.

Hall, K.L., Robbins, M.L., Paiva, A., Knott, J.E., Harris, L., & Mattice, B. (2007). Donation Intentions among African American College Students: Decisional Balance and Self – Efficacy Measures. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30, 483-495.

Mauriello, L.M., Rossi, J.S., Fava, J., Redding, C.A., Robbins, M.L., Prochaska J.O., & Meier, K.S. (2007). Assessment of the pros and cons of stress management among adolescents: Development and validation of a decisional balance measure. American Journal of Health Promotion, 22, 140-143.

Keller, S., Bölting, K., Kaluza, G., Schulz, K-H., Ewers, H., Robbins, M.L., & Basler, H. D. (2004). Conditions for organ donation readiness [Original title: Bedingungen der Bereitschaft zur Organspende.] Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie, 12, 75-84.

Robbins, M.L., Levesque, D.A., Redding, C.A., Johnson, J.L., Prochaska, J.O., Rohr, M.S. & Peters, T.G. (2001). Assessing family members' motivational readiness and decision making for consenting to cadaveric organ donation. Journal of Health Psychology, 6(5), 523-535.