Dr Richard J Davidson, a US-Based Neuroscientist and Founder And

DR RICHARD J DAVIDSON DR RICHARD Dr Richard J Davidson, a US-based neuroscientist and Founder and Chair of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shares the motivation behind his work on neuroplasticity, emotion regulation, mindfulness and their impacts on wellbeing and education to characterise how the central circuits understanding the basic mechanisms by of emotion and emotion regulation are which the mind and brain work and can be connected to peripheral biological systems transformed. In addition, the research is that are implicated in physical health – such motivated by a sincere aspiration that this as immune and endocrine function; and to work could be of some benefit to others who investigate methods to cultivate resilient may be suffering, or who may not enjoy the emotional styles in both children and adults, highest levels of wellbeing they might attain. and their underlying mechanisms. Is funding limited for this area of research? This research emerges from the understanding that how a person responds to life’s slings There are quite severe budget constraints for and arrows determines much about their government funding of this research in the mental and physical health. It also emerges US today – we critically need a diverse range from a conviction that health is not simply of support for this work. Some of the studies the absence of illness and that preventative we are conducting are so highly novel that strategies can be implemented to cultivate even if there were more funds available at © Jeff Miller, University of Wisconsin-Madison both psychological and physical wellbeing. The the US federal level, such work would not be work is also rooted in efforts to meaningfully prioritised. Thus, a combination of government connect modern neuroscience with ancient and private sources of support are needed. Could you provide an overview of your contemplative traditions in which various current research activities and explain what meditative practices were developed that are Have any of your research prompted your interest in these areas? now being rigorously studied using modern recommendations been implemented in scientific methods. schools? How has your work been received I have been deeply interested in human by education professionals and policy emotion since I began my professional life How does mindfulness affect a child’s leaders? as a scientist. What particularly fascinates learning experience, interaction with others me about emotion is the extraordinary and social-emotional wellbeing? Our kindness curriculum for preschool range of individual variation in how humans children has been adopted by the Madison respond to emotional challenges. There Training in simple secular mindfulness practices Public Schools. Many other school districts are remarkable individual differences in in young children appears to strengthen from around the US as well as from a number response to adversity, in how we regulate selective attention, cognitive control and of other countries have expressed great our emotions and in the maintenance of empathic accuracy. If future research supports interest in using this curriculum, as well as wellbeing. I have been interested in the these early findings, it would suggest that using the video games we are developing. neural bases and biobehavioural correlates mindfulness training in young children can In general, the work has been received of these individual differences as well as enhance self-control and beneficially impact extremely well by leaders in education, but in how we can promote more adaptive a range of related outcomes – including future we face challenges in scaling the curriculum and optimal affective styles to cultivate health outcomes, substance use, financial widely since it currently depends upon expert resilience and improve wellbeing. planning and success. It may also strengthen a instructors to provide the training. We are range of prosocial skills that include emotion in the process of evaluating whether it is What is the main mission of your regulation and resilience. possible to provide just eight to 10 weeks of work? From what context did this training for the regular classroom teachers research emerge? What research questions do you still hope and then have them teach the kindness to answer and why? curriculum. We do not yet know how feasible The overall goals of our work are to investigate this might be. Nor do we know what impact the neural bases and biobehavioural There are many research questions that the digital games might have. We should be consequences of individual differences we still hope to investigate – but the ‘why’ in a position to answer these key questions in emotion regulation and wellbeing; is motivated by a deep curiosity toward within the next 12 months. WWW.RESEARCHMEDIA.EU 117 DR RICHARD J DAVIDSON Can we learn wellbeing and resilience? Researchers at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin- Madison, USA are developing simple secular techniques derived from meditative traditions to cultivate wellbeing in children and adults and to decrease suffering in those afflicted with various neuropsychiatric disorders MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES contemplative practices might impact the EARLY EXPERIENCES have shown a growing interest in recent years in brain and thereby produce behavioural changes the Eastern approach to wellbeing, particularly in qualities such as attention, as well in the As part of their basic research, Davidson’s team as various secular-based meditation practices regulation of emotion. is particularly interested in studying the impact have been incorporated into mainstream clinical of early experience on the development of practice. The main difference between the two the brain and behaviour – and it has already AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE approaches to health is that while Western shown some interesting results in this area. medicine places considerable emphasis on Emotional responses are a deeply personal The group’s studies have revealed that early disease, the contemplative traditions of the East part of the human psyche, and vary widely life stress experienced within the first year has focus on wellness. As serious research interest in among individuals. Emotional styles refer ripple effects that can still be detected in late these methods to cultivate wellbeing increases, to consistent differences among people adolescence. For example, abnormalities in there is recognition that these two great wisdom in patterns of emotional responding and connectivity between the amygdala and the traditions have much to learn from one another. emotion regulation. Sometimes one’s prefrontal cortex could be measured in 18-year- emotional style is advantageous and other old girls who suffered from early adversity. Indeed, many people attest to the benefits of times they can be problematic and increase an In earlier work, Davidson and colleagues had wellness practices such as meditation, yoga and individual’s vulnerability to psychopathology. established the importance of prefrontal- tai chi – and their positive impacts on health Resilience is an emotional style that has been amygdala connectivity for emotion regulation. have sometimes been confirmed in scientific operationalised as the rapidity of recovery from research, although the mechanisms underlying adversity and can be measured in specific neural their effects remain elusive. This is changing, systems. If interventions to shift individuals however, as basic advances in scientific into a more resilient emotional style can be understanding of neuroplasticity now provide developed, particularly in young children, then These findings suggest that a framework in which to appreciate how simple there is a potential to prevent the subsequent development of psychopathology and improve constructs such as attention, developmental outcomes. More generally, if cognitive control and prosocial children could be taught to be more emotionally intelligent, the consequences for social and behaviour are best regarded academic success could be significant. as skills that can be enhanced A group of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is working to bring to through training fruition this exact educational advance. The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, led This work clearly demonstrates that early by Dr Richard Davidson, aims not only to experience has long-term consequences, and answer fundamental questions pertaining the complex emotional regulation circuitry of to the biobehavioural patterns of emotional the brain may not express these consequences development, but also to link these patterns until much later in life. with specific interventions for young students, teachers and other groups. The researchers have The practical element of the team’s research lies already identified a number of fascinating trends in developing interventions for early age groups, in this area that may illuminate further paths to which could be beneficial to the development Long-term meditation practitioner prepared for wellbeing – and their deeply novel work, which of social and emotional behaviour in the long recording high density brain electrical activity in often draws on ancient contemplative traditions term. The researchers are specifically developing the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds. in combination with rigorous neuroscience, has interventions to cultivate mindfulness, kindness © Waisman Laboratory

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