Richard J. Davidson, PhD, is a William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. Davidson received his PhD from Harvard University in Psychology in 1976. 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. He is the author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain (with contributions from Sharon Begley), and co-author, with Daniel Goleman, of Altered Traits. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2006. He 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.Â