David Vago — Mapping the Meditative Mind: From Clinical Outcomes to Unified Compassion

Over the last 35 years, there has been much progress in the science of mindfulness and meditation. We are slowly approaching a level of precision to better understand the rich typology of meditation practices, the mechanisms by which they function to support a healthy mind and body, and how they can best serve select populations. "Mapping the Meditative Mind" is an initiative in an emerging field of contemplative neuroscience that aims to better understand the body-brain-mind changes associated with a systematic form of mental training in relation to self and others. David Vago will present models underlying specific meditative practices, the underlying neurobiological and psychosocial processes supporting those practices, and data from his lab and others in support of short- and long-term changes—from clinical outcomes to unified compassion.

About the speaker:
David Vago is Research Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is an associate professor in the department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. He also maintains an appointment as a research associate in the Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He has completed post-doctoral fellowships in mind-body medicine at the University of Utah Medical School, the Stuart T. Hauser Research Training Program in Biological & Social Psychiatry and functional neuroimaging at Harvard Medical School. David has previously held the position of Senior Research Coordinator for the Mind & Life Institute and is currently a Mind and Life Fellow, supporting the organization's mission by advising on strategy and programs. He received his Bachelors Degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences in 1997 from the University of Rochester. In 2005, David received his Ph.D. in Cognitive and Neural Sciences with a specialization in learning and memory from the department of Psychology, University of Utah.