Ruth Quillian-Wolever, PhD

Director of Research; Assistant Clinical Professor, Psychiatry

Ruth Quillian-Wolever is a clinical health psychologist and the Research Director of Duke Integrative Medicine. She specializes in behavior change, treatment of stress-related problems, and mind-body health. Both her research and her clinical practice focus on utilizing the connection between mind and body to improve health, and the application of integrative medicine techniques to affect lifestyle change.

Ruth also consults with Duke Corporate Education and the Fuqua School of Business Executive Education programs, helping executives identify strategies to better manage their challenging environments.

From a research perspective, Ruth studies the integration of innovative mind-body-spirit treatments into mainstream medicine. She has specifically explored such treatments to improve sleep, weight management, diabetes control, and other health indices; some of this work focuses on the role of integrative health coaching in creating significant lifestyle change.

Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Office of Women’s Health), the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and by GlaxoSmithKline.

Ruth has been working in the field of health psychology since 1989 and at the Duke University School of Medicine since 1994. Ruth received her PhD in clinical health psychology from the University of Miami in 1994, and completed her clinical internship at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill the same year. She is licensed as a clinical psychologist (State of NC), is certified as a health services provider (NC), a PAIRS facilitator (PAIRS Foundation, Fairfax, VA), a Lifeskills trainer (Williams’ Lifeskills Inc., Durham, NC), and is credentialed in medical hypnotherapy (Institute for Health Psychology & American Society for Clinical Hypnosis) as well.

Formerly, Ruth was the clinic director of Duke Integrative Medicine, and the director of the health psychology component of the Duke University Executive Health Program, Duke Diet and Fitness Center, and Duke Health and Fitness Center (collectively known as the Duke Center for Living).
Prior to entering the field of health psychology, Ruth earned her BA in Spanish at the University of Virginia, taught in the Dade County Public High Schools and directed a youth program in South Florida. She and her husband Mark are active in educating the public on Rett Syndrome. Her deepest delight is her daughter Emma.