Position Title
Associate Professor
- Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior
Research Interests
Dr. Rebecca Calisi Rodríguez is a behavioral neuroendocrinologist whose research integrates neurobiology, physiology, and behavior to uncover the mechanisms by which interactions with animals and nature shape resilience, stress recovery, and health. After two decades defining how stress alters animal behavior, reproduction, endocrine function, and gene expression, the worsening global mental health crisis prompted her to redirect her expertise toward an equally fundamental question: How can biology inform resilience and recovery from stress? She subsequently transformed her research program from laboratory-based investigations of stress biology into translational, community-engaged science examining the neurobiological, physiological, behavioral, and psychological mechanisms through which interactions with animals and nature influence the brain, body, and behavior.
In 2022, Dr. Calisi Rodríguez founded the Green Care Lab, a field-based research program operating from two private ranches in Davis, California. Combining rigorous experimental science with real-world community partnerships, the lab investigates the biological mechanisms underlying human–animal and human–nature interactions across diverse populations and settings.
Central to the lab's research is the Two-Way Hypothesis of human–animal interaction, which proposes that human behavior shapes animal behavior, which in turn contributes to variation in human emotional outcomes. Guided by a One Health framework, the Green Care Lab seeks to establish a mechanistic foundation for Green Care, generating evidence to inform interventions that simultaneously advance human health, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship.
Center Affiliations
- 2001 B.A. in Psychology, Boston College
- 2006 M.S. in Biology, University of Texas, Arlington
- 2010 Ph.D. in Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley