Education

• B.A. Psychology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 1973
• M.A. Psychology and Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 1974
• Ed.D. Adult Development, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 1975

Positions And Honors

Positions and Employment
1976-1977:            Visiting Professor of Psychology, Maharishi European Research University, Weggis, Switzerland
1978-1979:            Visiting Professor of Psychology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island
1979-1982:            Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa
1982-1987:            Associate Professor of Educational Psychology
1987-1994             Associate Professor of Maharishi Vedic Science,
1994-1995             Director, Maharishi Vedic University, Tampa, Florida
1995 -1998:           Director, Maharishi Vedic University, New Jersey
1997-1998             Director, Maharishi Ayur-Veda Medical Center, New Jersey
1998-2000:            Associate Professor of Psychology and Physiology, Maharishi University of Management
1998-1999:            Associate Director, Center for Health and Aging Studies,
1999-2005             Associate Director, Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention
1999-2005             Director, Biostatistics and Quality of Life Core, Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention
2000-present        Professor, Physiology and Health and Education, Maharishi University of Management
2003-2004             Associate Dean for Research
2005-present        Associate Director and Senior Investigator, Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention, Maharishi University of Management Research Institute
Recent Professional Experience
2000-2001             NIH NCCAM Study Section on Training Grants
2002                      NIH NIAMS Special Study Section on Women’s Health SCORS
2002-2003             National Advisory Committee, Center for Minority Research Training in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD

Selected Publications  (of approx. 60)

1. Seaman, W, Nidich, S, Banta, T. Influence of Transcendental Meditation on a measure of self-actualization, J Couns Psychol. 1972;19:184-187.
2. Nidich, S, Seaman, W, Banta, T. Influence of Transcendental Meditation: A replication study, J Couns Psychol, 1973;20:565-566.
3. Blackwell, B, Hanenson, M, Bloomfield, S, Magenheim, M, Nidich S, Gartside, P, Zigler, R. (1975). Effects of Transcendental Meditation on blood pressure: A controlled pilot study, Psychosom Med. 1975;37:86.
4. Blackwell, B, Hanenson, M, Bloomfield, S, Magenheim, M, Gartside, P, Nidich S, Zigler, R. Transcendental Meditation in hypertension: Individual response patterns. Lancet. 1976;1:223-226.
5. Nidich, S, Ryncarz, R, Orme-Johnson, D, Wallace RK. Cosmic perspective responses, EEG coherence, and the Transcendental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi program, J Moral Ed. 1983;12;166-173.
6. Sharma, H, Nidich, S, Sands, D, Smith, E. Improvements in cardiovascular risk factors through panchakarma purification procedures, J Res Educ Indian Med. 1993;12:1-13.
7. Nidich, SI, Morehead, P, Nidich, RJ, Sands, D, Sharma, HM. The effect of the Maharishi Student Rasayana food supplement on non-verbal intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences. 1993;15:599-602.
8. Schneider, R, Nidich, S, Salerno, J, Sharma, H, Robinson, C, Nidich, R, Alexander, CN. Reduced lipid peroxide levels in practitioners of Transcendental Meditation. Psychosom Med. 1998;60:38-41.
9. Calderon, R, Schneider, R, Alexander, C.N, Myers, H, Nidich, S, Haney, C. Stress, stress reduction and hypercholesterolemia in African Americans and whites: A review. Ethn Dis. 1999;9:451-462.
10. Nidich, S, Nidich, R, Alexander, CN. Moral development and higher states of consciousness, J Adult Devel. 2000; 33:217-227.
11. Castillo-Richmond, A, Schneider, R, Alexander, C, Cook, R, Myers, H, Nidich, S, Haney, C, Rainforth, M, Salerno, J. Effects of stress reduction on carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive African Americans. Stroke, 2000;31:568-573.
12. Schneider, R.H., Nidich, S.I., Salerno, J. The Transcendental Meditation Meditation program: Reducing the risk of heart disease and mortality and improving quality of life in African Americans. Ethn Dis. (Suppl.); 2001;11;159-160.
13. Nidich, S, Schneider, R, Rainforth, M. Grimm, CE, Li, J. Effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on depression in African Americans with coronary heart disease. Annals Behav Med, 2001;23:S057.
14. Nidich, S, Schneider, R, Nidich, R, Rainforth, M, Scharf, D, Salerno, J, Smith, DE, Dillbeck , M, Nader, T. Effect of Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology on the quality of life of patients with chronic illness. Frontiers Biosci, 2001;6:h1-6.
15. Nader, TA, Smith, D.E, Dillbeck, M, Schanbacher, V, Dillbeck, SL, Gallois, P, Beall-Rougerie, S, Schneider, RH, Nidich, SI, Kaplan, G, Belok, S.  A double blind randomized controlled trial of Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology in subjects with arthritis. Frontiers Biosci, 2001;6:h7-17.
16. Schneider, R, Castillo-Richmond, A, Alexander, R, Myers, H, Kaushik, V, Aranguri, C, Norris, K, Haney, C, Rainforth, M, Nidich, S. Behavioral treatment of hypertensive heart disease in African Americans:  Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial. Behav Med. 2001;27:83-94.
17. Fields, J, Walton, K, Schneider, R, Nidich, S, Pomerantz, R, Suchdev, P, Castillo-Richmond, A, Payne, K, Clark, E, Rainforth, M. Effect of a multimodality natural medicine program on carotid atherosclerosis in older subjects: A pilot trial of Maharishi Vedic Medicine. Am J Cardiol. 2002;89:952-958.
18. Walton, K. Schneider, R, Nidich, S. Review of controlled research on the Transcendental Meditation program and cardiovascular disease: Risk factors, morbidity and mortality. Cardiol in Rev. 2004:12:261-266.
19. Schneider, R, Alexander, C, Staggers, F, Orme-Johnson, D, Rainforth, M, Salerno, J, Sheppard, W, Castillo-Richmond, A, Barnes, V, and Nidich, S. A randomized controlled trial of stress reduction in the treatment of hypertension in African Americans over one year. Amer J of Hypertension. 2005:18:88-98.
20. Nidich, SI, Smith, DE, Sands, D, Sharma, HM, Nidich, RJ Barnes, V, Jossang, S. Maharishi Vedic Medicine panchakarma purification prog. and speed of processing. J. Pers Soc Psychol. 2005:17:565-570.
21. Nidich, S, Schneider, R, Nidich, R, Foster, G, Salerno, J, Sharma, H. Effect of the Transcendental Meditation program on the intellectual development of community-dwelling elderly adults. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2005:17:217-226.
22. Schneider, RH, Alexander, CN, Staggers, F, Rainforth, M, Salerno, J.W, Hartz, A, Arndt, S., Barnes, V and Nidich, S. Long-term effects of stress reduction on mortality in persons > 55 years of age with systemic hypertension. Am J Cardiol. 2005:95:1060-1064.
23. Paul-Labrador, M, Polk, D, Dwyer, J., Velasquez, I, Nidich, S., Rainforth, M., Schneider, R., Bairey Merz, C.N. Effects of a randomized controlled trial of Transcendental Meditation on components of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with coronary heart disease. Arch Internal Med. 2006:166:1218-1224.
24. Orme-Johnson, D, Schneider, R, Son, YD, Nidich, S, Cho, Z-H. Neuroimaging of meditation’s effect on brain reactivity to pain. NeuroReport. 2006:17:1359-1363.
25. Jayadevappa, R, Johnson, J, Bloom, B, Nidich, S, Desai, S, Chhatre, S, Raziano, D, and Schneider, R, Effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on functional capacity and quality of life of African Americans with congestive heart failure: a randomized control study. Ethnicity and Disease, 17, 72-77; 2007.

RESEARCH SUPPORT

Ongoing Research Support

RO1 HL (Schneider) NIH/NHLBI Stress Reduction and CVD Morbidity and Mortality in Blacks: Part II

10/03 to 8/07

This is an additional four-year follow-up, investigating the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in African-Americans in Milwaukee. 
Role: Co-PI

Abramson Family Foundation (Schneider)                                          9/05 – 8/07
A Research and Demonstration Project on Effects of Consciousness-Based Education on Neurophysiology, Cognitive Development and Health in College Students.
This is a randomized controlled trial of the effects of stress reduction for primary prevention in young adults. It will evaluate outcomes of neurophysiological integration, cognitive function, psychological health, blood pressure, and behavioral risk factors for CVD.
Role: Co-I

David Lynch Foundation (Nidich)                                                        9/06 to 8/06
Evaluation of the Transcendental Meditation Program on Student Academic, Emotional, and Social Development. This is an evaluation project of the effects of stress reduction in middle and secondary school students.
Role: PI

Completed Research Support (past 4 years)

1P50 AT00082-01 (Schneider) NIH/NCCAM Center for Natural Medicine & Prevention SCOR

10/99 to 8/05

CNMP studies CAM modalities related to cardiovascular disease, minority health, and aging. The Center’s three main studies involve elderly African American subjects and the effects of CAM modalities on CVD outcomes. Developmental projects related to basic mechanisms and CVD outcomes are conducted under the SCOR. An administrative core and a biostatistics and quality of life core service all Center research projects.
Role: PI, Biostatistics and Quality of Life Core
Role:  Co-PI, Administrative Core

2 RO1 HL51519-05 (Schneider)  NIH/NHLBI  Stress Reduction & Atherosclerotic CVD in Blacks

8/99 to 7/05

The major goal of the project is to assess the efficacy of the TM program in reducing atherosclerotic CVD in African-Americans.
Role: Co-PI

1 RO1 HL 60703-03 (Schneider) NIH/NHLBI Stress Reduction & Prevention of Hypertension in Blacks

5/98 to 4/05

The major goal of the project is to assess the efficacy of the TM program in preventing hypertension and reducing risk behaviors in at-risk African-Americans.
Role: Co-PI

Private-Funding 98-372 (Schneider) Retirement Research Foundation, Stress Reduction & Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer in Elderly Women

8/99 to 7/03

The major goal of this RCT was to assess the efficacy of the TM program in reducing mortality and improving quality of life in elderly women with advanced breast cancer.
Role: Co-PI

2RO1 HL 48107-08A1 (Schneider) NIH/NHLBI Stress Reduction and CVD Morbidity and Mortality in Blacks

6/97 to 5/03

The major goal of this project was to assess the effects of stress reduction through the Transcendental Meditation program on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in African-Americans in Milwaukee. 
Role: Co-PI

1RO1 AT000226-01 (Bairey-Merz) NIH/NCCAM Effects of Meditation on Mechanisms of CHD

10/99 to 2/03

This project assesses mechanisms by which the TM program effects the progression of CHD.
Role: Co-I