Richard J. Davidson, PhD, is the William James and Vilas Research professor of psychology and psychiatry, and the founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he has been a faculty member since 1984. He is best known for his groundbreaking work studying emotion and the brain.
A highly sought after expert and speaker, Dr. Davidson leads conversations on well-being on international stages such as the World Economic Forum, where he serves on the Global Council on Mental Health. Time Magazine named him one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2006. He earned his doctor of psychology from Harvard University in in 1976. Dr. Davidson’s research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing, including meditation and related contemplative practices.
Dr. Davidson is the author with Sharon Begley of the New York Times best seller The Emotional Life of Your Brain and co-author with Daniel Goleman of Altered Traits. He has published more than 600 articles, numerous chapters, and reviews, and edited 17 books. Dr. Davidson was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2017 and appointed to the governing board of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) in 2018. In 2014, he founded the non-profit Healthy Minds Innovations, which translates science into tools to cultivate and measure well-being.