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Sir Run Run Shaw Distinguished Visiting Scholar 2012-13, Professor Richard J. DAVIDSON from the University of Wisconsin-Madison will speak on ‘Change the Brain by Transforming the Mind’ at Shaw College of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) next Wednesday(6 March), sharing how one can transform the mind through meditation and thereby alter the brain and the periphery in ways that may be beneficial for mental and physical health. The lecture is one of the year-round celebratory events of CUHK 50^thAnniversary. Interested members of the public can call 3943 8538 (Miss Ho) for registration. Admission is free. 

Professor Davidson is the William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, the Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience, as well as Founder and Chair of the Center for Investigating Healthy Mindsat Waisman Center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.A. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology and has been teaching at Wisconsin since 1984. He has published more than 275 articles, many chapters and reviews and edited 13 books. He has received numerous awards for his research achievements including the National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Award, MERIT Award from NIMH, Established Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders (NARSAD), and Distinguished Investigator Award from NARSAD. In 2000, he was awarded the most distinguished award for science by the American Psychological Association – the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006.  

In this lecture, Professor Davidson will present an overview of studies conducted in his laboratory on neural changes associated with different forms of meditation, and analyse the different neural and behavioral effects of three major forms of meditation practice: Focused Attention; Open Monitoring; and Positive Affect Training. He will also highlight the differences between long-term meditation practitioners and those with shorter durations of training, as well as review the changes over time according to some longitudinal studies of meditation practice. In addition to the neural changes observed, Professor Davidson will also summarize changes  found in peripheral biology that may modulate physical health and illness. It is found that the central circuitry of emotion will affect health and one can transform the mind through meditation and alter the brain and the periphery in ways that may be beneficial for mental and physical health.

Since 1989, CUHK Shaw College has been organizing the Sir Run Run Shaw Distinguished Visiting Scholar Lecture to invite an internationally distinguished scholar or individual to visit the College and give lectures annually. Past visiting scholars included Prof. YANG Chen-ning, Prof. LEE Yuan-tseh, Prof. YAU Shing-tung, Prof. HO Ping-ti, Prof. Andrew YAO, Prof. Charles KAO, Prof. Deborah DAVIS, Prof. XU Guanhua, Prof. Harry LEWIS and Prof. David C.L. LIU etc. 

Public is welcome to attend the lecture. Details are as follows: