Online November 5-8, 2020
At a time of profound disruption that continues to dramatically impacting our outer and inner worlds, Mind & Life’s 2020 Contemplative Research Conference on November 5-8 2020 brought together scientists, scholars, and contemplatives to share leading-edge insights into driving questions:
- What lessons from contemplative neuroscience and public health can be applied in addressing the challenges we face—from the pandemic to growing social unrest?
- How can mindfulness training enhance social connectivity and contribute to flourishing in vulnerable and marginalized populations?
- And what role can contemplative practice play in helping those with chronic illness cope with loss of control and an unpredictable future?
The online event was grounded in contemplative movement, arts, and practice. Through guided meditation, Jon Kabat-Zinn pointed to the potential of mindfulness to optimize well-being and healing, including racial, economic, and global injustices; Thupten Jinpa led participants in connecting with our common humanity; and Margaret Cullen introduced a practice to cultivate equanimity for wise action.
In addition to the presentations listed below, you can download the full lists of symposia and papers.
Program Sessions
THURSDAY
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Opening Remarks and Contemplative Arts
Susan Bauer-Wu, Linda Carlson, John Dunne, Grant Jones
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Keynote and Q&A: “Educating the Hearts and Minds of Children in School: Emerging Research, New Discoveries, and Current Challenges in Contemplative Approaches in Education “
Kimberly Schonert-Reichl
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Education
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Keynote and Q&A: “Understanding Human Thought Through Dynamic Brain Systems”
Kalina Christoff
Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Mental Health | Mindfulness
FRIDAY
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Morning Yoga: “Trul khor: Tibetan Yoga”
Alejandro Chaoul
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Morning Yoga: “Prana and Chi: Moving the Elements”
Hawah Kasat
Topics: Body-based Practices | Contemplative Wisdom
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Meditation: “Taking a Stand by Taking Your Seat”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Topics: Interconnection | Self & Other | Social Change
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Plenary Symposium: Clinical Panel “Effects of Contemplative Training in Vulnerable Populations”
Moderators: Doris F. Chang
Panel: Linda Carlson, David J. Creswell, Cheryl Woods Giscombe, Doris F. Chang
Topics: Interconnection | Mindfulness | Social Change | Stress & Resilience
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Plenary Panel: “Starting from Experience: Neurophenomenology and the Vision of Mind and Life Europe”
Moderators: John Dunne
Panel: Amy Cohen Varela, Antoine Lutz, Andreas Roepstorff
Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Mindfulness
SATURDAY
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Meditation: “Cultivating Equanimity” and Contemplative Arts
Margaret Cullen, Carine Gilbert
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Keynote and Q&A: “Contemplative Studies: An Ecological Methodology for Multidisciplinarity”
Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Environment
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Plenary Panel: “Pathways to Resilience in the Pandemic from a Contemplative, Moral and Public Health Perspective“
Moderators: David Vago
Panel: Richard J. Davidson, Vivek Murthy, Molly Crockett, David Vago
Topics: Interconnection | Social Change | Stress & Resilience
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Panel Discussion: “What Does Spirituality Mean To US?”
Mohammed Hamid Mohammed, Veronica Selzler, Roman Williams
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Interconnection
SUNDAY
2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session
Meditation: “A Guided Compassion Meditation”
Thupten Jinpa
Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Interconnection
Keynote Speakers and Panelists
Linda Carlson, PhD
University of Calgary
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer
Dr. Linda Carlson holds the Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology, is Full Professor in Psychosocial Oncology in the Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine at the University of … MORE
Doris F. Chang, PhD
New York University
Convening Faculty, Grantee, Mentor, Reviewer
Dr. Chang is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the NYU Silver School of Social Work. Her research seeks to advance the well-being of BIPOC communities by understanding … MORE
Kalina Christoff, PhD
University of British Columbia
Kalina Christoff is a Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Her work focuses on understanding human thought, using a combination of functional neuroimaging (fMRI), … MORE
David J. Creswell, PhD
Carnegie Mellon University
Fellow, Grantee, Reviewer
David’s research focuses broadly on understanding what makes people resilient under stress. Specifically, he conducts community intervention studies, laboratory studies of stress and coping, and neuroimaging studies to understand how … MORE
Molly Crockett, PhD
Princeton University
Convening Faculty, Discussant, Fellow
Dr. Molly Crockett is an Associate Professor at Princeton University’s Department of Psychology and University Center for Human Values. Crockett’s lab investigates moral cognition: how people decide whether to help … MORE
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.
Richard Davidson received his PhD from Harvard University in Psychology and has been at Wisconsin since 1984. He has published more than 573 articles, numerous chapters and reviews, and edited … MORE
John Dunne, PhD
University of Wisconsin-Madison
John Dunne’s work focuses on Buddhist philosophy and contemplative practice, especially in dialog with Cognitive Science. His publications range from technical works on Buddhist epistemology to broader works on the … MORE
Amishi Jha, PhD
University of Miami
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Research and Programs Council Member
Amishi Jha is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, prior to which she was an … MORE
Antoine Lutz, PhD
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Discussant, Fellow, Reviewer
Antoine Lutz, PhD is an Associate Scientist at the Laboratory For Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior at the Waisman Center in the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interests focus on … MORE
Mohammed Hamid Mohammed
The Fetzer Institute
Mohammed Hamid Mohammed is a senior program officer at the Fetzer Institute. Trained in the humanities, social science, and human-computer interaction, Mohammed is a philanthropy professional with decades of experience … MORE
Vivek Murthy
19th Surgeon General, United States
As America’s Doctor, Dr. Murthy created initiatives to tackle our country’s most urgent public health issues. He chose areas of focus that were raised by people across America during his … MORE
Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, PhD
University of Lancaster
Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad is a Fellow of the British Academy and Distinguished Professor of Comparative Religion and Philosophy at Lancaster University. He is the author of seven books and some fifty … MORE
Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, PhD
University of British Columbia
Convening Faculty, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer
Kimberly Schonert-Reichl is an applied developmental psychologist and a professor in the Human Development, Learning, and Culture area in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education at … MORE
Andreas Roepstorff, PhD
Aarhus University
Fellow, Grantee, Reviewer
Andreas Roepstorff, Ph.D. is Professor, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Social Anthropology, Aarhus University / Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. As an anthropologist in neuroscience, Andreas tries to … MORE
Veronica Selzler
Fetzer Institute
Veronica Selzler is a director at Hattaway Communications, a strategic communications firm that helps visionary leaders and organizations use strategy, science, and storytelling to achieve ambitious goals for people and … MORE
Amy Cohen Varela
Mind & Life Europe
Amy Cohen Varela is Chairperson of the Mind & Life Europe Board and involved with Mind and Life since its inception. She is also a clinical psychologist specialized in psychodynamic … MORE
David Vago, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer
Dr. David Vago is Research Associate Professor and Director of the Contemplative Neuroscience and Mind-Body (CNMB) Research Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at Vanderbilt University. He is core training … MORE
Helen Weng, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Reviewer
Helen Y. Weng, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, and her research focuses on the neural mechanisms of how meditation practices may improve social behavior and mental health. Her … MORE
Roman Williams
Fetzer Institute
Roman R. Williams, Ph.D. is a visual sociologist who studies religion and spirituality in everyday life. Roman directs the Interfaith Photovoice Initiative (interfaithphotovoice.org), is a research fellow at the Kaufman … MORE
Cheryl Woods Giscombe, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Mentor
Dr. Cheryl Giscombe is the Melissa and Harry LeVine Family Distinguished Term Professor in the School of Nursing. She is a social and health psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, certified holistic … MORE
Contemplative Teachers and Artists
Alejandro Chaoul, PhD
Founding Director of the Jung Center’s Mind Body Spirit Institute
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Reviewer
Carine Gilbert
Grounded in Motion
Hawah Kasat
One Common Unity
Grant Jones
The Black Lotus Collective; Harvard University
Grantee, Research and Programs Council Member, Reviewer
Program Planning Committee
The Program Planning Committee (PPC) is a committee of invited specialists from diverse disciplines and perspectives who bring their expertise to curate and produce the content of the conference. In addition to developing the overall theme and narrative arc of the program, the PPC actively participate and serve in leadership roles throughout the conference. Linda Carlson and John Dunne are co-chairs of the CRC PPC.
Linda Carlson, PhD
University of Calgary
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer
John Dunne, PhD
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Neil Dalal, PhD
University of Alberta
Amishi Jha, PhD
University of Miami
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Research and Programs Council Member
David Vago, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer