Dr. Thayer completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University in 1981 and received his Ph.D. in 1986 from New York University with a specialization in psychophysiology with a minor in quantitative psychology. Dr. Thayer's area of specialization is psychophysiological aspects of self regulation, particularly parasympathetic influences on physical and mental health including hypertension, anxiety, and depression. Dr. Thayer serves on several editorial boards and has been the Associate Editor for Psychophysiology and Psychosomatic Medicine.