Read more
About the author
Richard J. Davidson, PhD, is the William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Davidson founded the nonprofit, Healthy Minds Innovations, which translates science into tools to cultivate and measure well-being. He received his PhD from Harvard University in psychology and is best known for his groundbreaking work studying emotion and the brain. He has published over 602 articles, numerous chapters and reviews, and edited seventeen books. Davidson is the author with Sharon Begley of The Emotional Life of Your Brain and coauthor with Daniel Goleman of Altered Traits. He is one of the most highly cited scientists in the world and was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and appointed to the Governing Board of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development. A highly sought-after speaker, he leads conversations on well-being on international stages such as the World Economic Forum, where he served on the Global Council on Mental Health. Davidson’s latest book with coauthor Cortland J. Dahl, PhD, is Born to Flourish. Cortland J. Dahl, PhD, serves as a Contemplative Scientist at UW-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds and Chief Contemplative Officer at the center’s affiliated nonprofit, Healthy Minds Innovations. Healthy Minds Innovations translates science into tools to cultivate and measure well-being. He is also cofounder and Executive Director of Tergar International, a global meditation community rooted in the teaching of and guided by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Dahl holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as a master’s degree in Buddhist studies. His eclectic background includes long periods of solitary retreat in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal and the translation of ancient Tibetan meditation manuals, as well as cutting-edge research on the science of well-being including a new scientific framework for the cultivation of human flourishing. Dahl created the content for the acclaimed Healthy Minds Program meditation app. He is a scientist, author, translator, and meditation teacher, but his true passion is using ancient wisdom and modern science to help people flourish. He is the author of A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism and Born to Flourish, with coauthor Richard J. Davidson, PhD.
