Start your path to flourishing.
Board of Directors
About
Richard J. Davidson
Founder of Humin (fmr Healthy Minds Innovations). William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Davidson received his Ph.D. 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 has published over 600 papers, numerous chapters and reviews, and edited 20 books. Davidson’s newest book, “Born to Flourish”with Cortland Dahl, is set to release in March 2026. He is also author (with Sharon Begley) of "The Emotional Life of Your Brain"published in 2012, co-author with Daniel Goleman of “Altered Traits” published in 2017, as well as co-author with Cortland Dahl of “Born to Flourish” published in 2026. 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.
In 2014, Davidson founded Humin (formerly Healthy Minds Innovations), a global nonprofit that turns groundbreaking research into practical tools and programs that enable people, organizations, and communities to thrive. Humin believes flourishing is for everyone and is working to make it real, everywhere.
Scientific Contributions and Affiliations
- Elected Member, National Academy of Medicine
- Founding Co-Editor, American Psychological Association journal
- Past-President, Society for Research in Psychopathology
- Past-President, Society for Psychophysiological Research
- Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Fellow, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters