Richard J. Davidson is the William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Director of the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior, the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience and the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his PhD from Harvard University in Psychology and has been at UW-Madison in Wisconsin since 1984. Davidson has published more than 250 articles, many chapters and reviews and edited 13 books. He has been a member of the Mind and Life Institute's Board of Directors since 1991. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his research including a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Award, a MERIT Award from NIMH, an Established Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders (NARSAD), a Distinguished Investigator Award from NARSAD, the William James Fellow Award from the American Psychological Society, and the Hilldale Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was the Founding Co-Editor of the new American Psychological Association journal EMOTION and is Past-President of the Society for Research in Psychopathology and of the Society for Psychophysiological Research. He was the 2000 recipient of the most distinguished award for science given by the American Psychological Association, the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award. In 2003 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 2004 he was elected to the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. Davidson was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006. In 2006 he was also awarded the first Mani Bhaumik Award by UCLA for advancing the understanding of the brain and conscious mind in healing. Madison Magazine named him Person of the Year in 2007. You can learn more about Davidson and his work at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds website.

Academy Evenings Presentation:

Did you miss Richard Davidson's September 15, 2009, presentation Happiness 2050: Neuroscience, Education, and the Compassionate World Citizen? You can watch it online or purchase the DVD from our Wisconsin Academy store.

Suggested Reading:

"Building a Better Brain," Isthmus, 2009

"Brain Storm," Madison Magazine, 2007

"Richard Davidson: East Meets West in HIs Laboratory," TIME Magazine, 2006

"The Science of Happiness," Wisconsin Academy Review, 2004