In April, the new Mind & Life podcast will make its debut. Neuroscientist, meditator, and Mind & Life Science Director Wendy Hasenkamp will host the show, engaging experts across a range of disciplines in deepening our understanding of the mind and contemplative practice. Guests will share their research and insights, while probing broader issues: What are the …
Continue reading “New Mind & Life Podcast to Tell Deeper Story of Contemplative Science”
Updated December 15th, 2025 Learn more about the 20th anniversary of the Francisco J. Varela Grants. The Mind & Life Francisco J. Varela Research Grants—an important and integral component of Mind & Life’s support of contemplative scientists and scholars—are based on neuroscientist and philosopher Francisco J. Varela’s belief that contemplative practices offer modern science novel, …
Dr. Yulia Golland is an Assistant Professor in the Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, at Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, IDC, Herzliya. Her research is broadly focused on the physiological substrates of interpersonal interaction, and combines physiological measures (fMRI, ANS) and real-life social set-ups. In particular, she is interested in the role of the …
David’s research explores how people adapt and thrive under stress, with a focus on the mind-body connection and pathways to resilience. He conducts community-based intervention trials, laboratory experiments, and neuroimaging studies to uncover how different stress management strategies, such as mindfulness meditation, self-affirmation, and cognitive reappraisal, can enhance coping, reduce stress, and improve health outcomes. …
Dr. Alexandra J. Fiocco is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University and is Director of the Stress and Healthy Aging Research Laboratory in Toronto. She obtained a PhD in Neuroscience at McGill University in 2008, followed by four years of postdoctoral training in clinical and epidemiological research at the University …
Jordan Kohn received his B.A. in biology from Reed College and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Emory University and the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. His research interests are 1) to elucidate the biological mechanisms by which social adversity affects human health and well being, and 2) to investigate …
Erin Maresh is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Arizona, working with Dr. Jessica Andrews-Hanna in the Neuroscience of Emotion and Thought Lab. Previously, she received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Virginia, where she worked with Drs. Jim Coan and Bethany Teachman, and completed her clinical internship at the Minneapolis VA. Broadly, she …
You know that moment when you notice that your mind was wandering? Maybe you’re reading a book and notice that you’ve been scanning the page with your eyes but not actually reading? In my doctoral studies I’m studying what the brain does that makes you notice. More precisely, I am working on understanding “meta-awareness” and the cognitive neuroscience …
Hadley Rahrig is a predoctoral candidate pursuing a career in social affective neuroscience. Her graduate research contributions have broadly focused on studying the role of mindfulness in intra- and inter-personal functioning through the use of biophysical imaging technology (e.g., fMRI, EEG, fNIRS). For example, her Master’s Thesis explored the neural substrates of self-views and their …
I received my PhD in 2015 from University of Southern California where I continued my research work as postdoctoral researcher and later joined the faculty (non-tenure track). My research interest is the neurobiology of decision making and self-regulation. One focus of that research is the impact of mindfulness training on children and adolescents. This was …
