19 Facts About Richard Davidson

At Harvard, Davidson was mentored by David C McClelland and was influenced by Norman Geschwind and Walle J H Nauta.

In 1976 Davidson took a teaching post at the State University of New York at Purchase where he subsequently held several posts including research consultancies at the Department of Pediatrics, Infant Laboratory, Roosevelt Hospital, New York and the Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, NIH.

Richard Davidson previously served as the director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience and of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior.

Richard Davidson is the founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds.

Richard Davidson's research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style as well as methods to promote human flourishing, including meditation and related contemplative practices.

Richard Davidson's studies have centered on people across their lifespans, from birth through old age.

Richard Davidson's research uses a wide range of methods including different varieties of MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography, and modern genetic and epigenetic methods.

Richard Davidson is popularizing the idea that based on what is known about the plasticity of the brain, neuroplasticity, one can learn happiness and compassion as skills just as one learns to play a musical instrument or train in golf or tennis.

Richard Davidson argues for a diagnosis of clinical depression with the help of emotional style.

Richard Davidson describes emotional style as a set of continuums where some people fall at one extreme of the continuum while others fall somewhere in the middle.

Richard Davidson's has been involved in research that use rhesus macaques to study anxiety, which has led to some controversy and criticism.

Richard Davidson has stated that he supports animal research and that it has "undeniably made major contributions to the reduction of suffering" in humans.

Richard Davidson has been a longtime friend of the 14th Dalai Lama, and some of his work involves research on the brain as it relates to meditation.

Richard Davidson has long maintained his own daily meditation practice, and continues to communicate regularly with the Dalai Lama.

In 2000, Richard Davidson received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, for lifetime achievement from the American Psychological Association.

Richard Davidson has published many papers, chapter articles and edited 13 books.

Richard Davidson is currently on the Editorial Board of Greater Good Magazine, published by the Greater Good Science Center of the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr Richard Davidson's contributions include the interpretation of scientific research into the roots of compassion, altruism, and peaceful human relationships.

Richard Davidson has written a New York Times bestseller titled The Emotional Life of Your Brain, published by Penguin in March 2012.