Welcome to the Health Adaptation Research on Thriving (HART) Lab at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

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Founded in 2011 and directed by health psychologist Professor Judith P. Andersen, our research explores how people adapt, recover, grow, and thrive in the face of life's challenges. We investigate the biological, psychological, and social processes that support health, well-being, and joyful living across the lifespan, including in the context of trauma, severe stress, and burnout.

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As a fully ambulatory psychophysiology lab, we study these processes in real time and in real-world settings, capturing how they unfold and interact in everyday life. A central focus of our research is to better understand biological regulation and coregulation: how people regulate within themselves and with one another, and how safe and joyful interpersonal connections may foster psychophysiological bonds that support coherence, interpersonal connection, and life purpose.