The Osher Center for Integrative Health hosts monthly research seminars that are open to the research and clinical community at large. Seminars are held from September to June and are currently online only. Presentations cover a wide range of topics including mindfulness and integrative health intervention efficacy and implementation, social justice and health equity, and neural correlates of mindfulness practice. Research Seminars are organized by Jennifer Felder, PhD, and Ariana Thompson-Lastad, PhD. Please contact Vierka Goldman with any questions. 

Past Research Seminars

2023-2024

2022-2023 

2021-2022 

2020-2021 

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Distressed Cancer Population by Joanna Arch, PhD
  • A Mindful Approach to Achieving Mental Health Equity by Inger Burnett-Zeigler, PhD 
  • Who Owns Acupuncture and Other Stories: Cultural Misappropriation in Medicine by Nadine Ijaz, PhD 
  • Stress, Early Adversity, and Depression – From Laboratory Mechanistic Insights to Daily Psychological Interventions by Stefanie Mayer, PhD 
  • Adapting Mindfulness Programs for Stress Reduction in Native Communities by Jeffrey Proulx, PhD 
  • Can a Digital Mindfulness + Healthy Eating Program Improve Health-related Behaviors Among Stressed Adults with Overweight? Findings from the StressFree UC + Health Randomized Clinical Trial by Rachel Radin, PhD 
  • Lightning Talks by UCSF Osher Center Researchers and Affiliates 

2019-2020  

  • Can Adolescents "Rewire" Their Brain by Practicing Mindfulness? - An MRI Connectome Study by Dr. Olga Tymofiyeva 
  • Addressing Health Equity through Implementation Science by Megan Roberts, PhD  
  • The Science of Social Justice: The Impact of Othering and Systemic Discrimination on Communities of Color and the Potential of Mindfulness to Heal by Sará King, MA, PhD 
  • Living with chronic stress: What does life look like and how does that impact health? by Alexandra Crosswell, PhD 
  • Lightning Talks by UCSF Osher Center Researchers from Multiple Presenters 

2018-2019  

  • Interoception Symposium by Erika Siegel, Helen Weng, Wolf Mehling  
  • Comparing Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Improve Pain, Functioning, and Quality of Life in Veterans: Implementation Strategy for a Multi-Site Pragmatic Trial or 'We Want to Do it Differently at Our Site' by Karen H. Seal, MD, MPH  
  • Being Present 2.0: Web-based Mindfulness Meditation Program for Metastatic Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients and Caregivers by Chloe E. Atreya MD, PhD   
  • Pragmatic Research of Integrative Pain Management in Diverse Patients by Maria T. Chao, DrPH, MPA 
  • Osher Center Research Data Blitz 

2017-2018  

  • The Impact of Killing in Combat among Veterans: Research and Clinical Implications by Shira Maguen, PhD  
  • Minding the Implementation Gap in the Development of Mindfulness-based Programs by Rebecca Crane, PhD, PFHEA  
  • Translational lifestyle research to optimize prostate cancer survivorship by June M. Chan, ScD  
  • The Regulation of Affective Spillover: Amygdala-Prefrontal Contributions and the Impact of Mindfulness Training by Regina Lapate, PhD 
  • Mindfulness in Education: Applications from Preschool to Professional Development by Lisa Flook, MA, PhD  
  • A Neurocognitive Approach to Enhancing Interoception by David A. Ziegler, PhD 
  • Osher Center Research Data Blitz 

2016-2017  

  • Toward Contemplative Science: Issues, Models and Findings in the Scientific Investigation of Contemplative Practice by Clifford Saron, PhD  
  • Emotions are Contagious: Physiological Covariation among Strangers and Close Others by Wendy Mendes, PhD  
  • Why Depression Hurts: Interoception in Depression and Pain by Irina Strigo, PhD  
  • Paving the way for integrative medicine by systematic use of patient reported outcome measures by Martin Ingvar, MD, PhD 
  • The Differential Impact of CBT vs. MBSR for Social Anxiety Disorder: Mediators of Treatment Outcome by Philippe Goldin, PhD 
  • Being Present: Audio-Based Mindfulness Meditation for Colorectal Cancer Patients and Caregivers by Chloe Atreya, MD and Ai Kubo, PhD 
  • Osher Center Research Data Blitz by Various Osher Center Faculty and Fellows  

2015-2016  

  • Stress and Inflammation: Role of Immune Cell Corticosteroid Receptors by Jeff Milush, PhD  
  • Internet-Based Clinical Trials by Steve Bent, MD  
  • Placebo and Beyond: Exploring Scientific Frontiers in Mind-Body Medicine by Shamini Jain, PhD  
  • Compassion Development: Basic and Applied by Daniel Martin
     

2014-2015

  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression by Stuart Eisendrath
  • Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise in Individuals with Dementia: the PLIÉ Study by Deborah Barnes
  • Electroceuticals: A New Approach to Treating Brain Pathologies by Blake Gurfein
  • Mindfulness to Prevent Acute Respiratory Infection by Bruce Barrett
  • Cross-Cultural Variation in Interoceptive Accuracy: Mechanism and Implications for Emotional Experience by Christine Ma-Kellams

2013-2014

  • Biofield Therapies: Surveying the Scientific Landscape by Shamini Jain
  • Adolescent Depression- an Integrative Approach to Treatment and Prevention by Eva Henje Blom
  • Mindful Exercise and Breathing for Veterans with PTSD by Emma Seppala
  • Stressed or relaxed, how do Your Genes Fit: The role of CRF Family of Neuropeptides in Mediating Stress and Inflammation by Aditi Bhargava
  • A Pilot Study of Yoga for Low Back Pain and its Mechanisms of Action: the YoMA Study by Sarah Corey
  • Yoga and Urinary Incontinence by Alison Huang

2012-2013

  • Yoga Research by Sat Bir S. Khalsa
  • Yoga and Metabolic Syndrome by Alka Kenaya
  • Nurturing Mindfulness in Schools: Advancing the Science and Practice of Awareness and Caring in Education by Mark Greenberg
  • Teaching Positive Emotion and Coping Skills on the Internet: Successes, Insights, and “Learning Experiences” by Michael Cohn
  • Food, Nutrition, and Cancer: Recent Recommendations and Evidence by Larry Kushi
  • So, what is a Paleolithic diet and how can it help you? by Lynda Frassetto
  • The Biology of Pain and Its Control by Howard Fields
  • The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) for building more efficient and effective behavioral interventions by Linda M. Collins
     

2011-2012

  • Compassion, If It is an Emotion, Why Don't We All Feel It? by Paul Ekman
  • MBSR and Tinnitus by Jennifer Gans
  • Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain: Much Ado About Stretching? by Karen Sherman
  • Meditation and Emotion Regulation: Psychological and Biological Effects of an Intervention by Margaret Kemeny
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression by Stuart Eisendrath 
  • Acupuncture for the Treatment of Gulf War Illness by Lisa, Conboy
  • The Compassionate Brain by Emiliana Simon-Thomas
  • Opening Windows to the Brain: Lessons Learned from the Neuroimaging of Pain by Sean Mackey
  • Keto-Adaptation:  Understanding the Cellular and Functional Responses to a Well-Formulated Low Carbohydrate Diet by Steve Phinney
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