The Mind & Life Education Research Network (MLERN) was formed in 2006 as a multidisciplinary intellectual forum dedicated to investigating issues at the intersection of the mind, brain, education and contemplative practice. Directed by Dr. Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin, MLERN included a core group of contemplatives and contemplative scholars, neuroscientists, cognitive, developmental and educational scientists, and educational activists.
The group met three times a year for three years to discuss and explore how contemplative practices might enrich education, child and adolescent development, education, and support lifelong learning. As these discussions progressed, the MLERN group identified key issues concerning the role of education in cultivating skills in young people including self-control, self awareness, personal and social responsibility, conflict resolution, empathy, compassion and global awareness. These discussions and insights ultimately led to the public forum with the Dalai Lama: Mind & Life XIX: Educating World Citizens for the 21st Century,” on October 8–9 at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC.
MLERN Core Members
Richard J. Davidson, PhD
William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc.
John Dunne, PhD
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Adam Engle, JD, MBA
Mind & Life Institute
Mark Greenberg, PhD
Pennsylvania State University
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer
Amishi Jha, PhD
University of Miami
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Research and Programs Council Member
Robert Roeser, PhD, MSW
Pennsylvania State University
Convening Faculty, Research and Programs Council Member, Reviewer
David Vago, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer
