Author of Buddha’s Brain to Give Lecture at UC San Diego Medical Center

Rick Hanson, PhD, author of the book Buddha’s Brain and founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, will present his lecture "Taking in the Good: Helping Children Build Inner Strength and Happiness" at the UC San Diego Medical Center Auditorium on Friday, February 3. The lecture will kick off UC San Diego’s inaugural "Bridging the Hearts and Minds of Youth: Mindfulness in Clinical Practice, Education and Research" conference.

Hanson, a prolific writer and lecturer, maintains a clinical practice in San Rafael, Calif., and serves as a trustee for Saybrook University. He is considered an authority on self-directed neuroplasticity, the art of reshaping the brain through contemplative practice, and is a featured blogger for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. His writings and teachings focus on "the essential inner skills of personal well-being, psychological growth, and contemplative practice."

Steven Hickman, PsyD, associate clinical professor in the UC San Diego Departments of Psychiatry and Family and Preventive Medicine, and director of the UCSD Center For Mindfulness (UCSD CFM) says about Hanson’s lecture, "this is a great opportunity to help clients, parents, friends and others understand the profound impact of contemplative practice on the developing minds of our children and ourselves."

This "Bridging the Hearts and Minds of Youth: Mindfulness in Clinical Practice, Education and Research" conference is co-presented by UCSD CFM and Stressed Teens and will be held at the Catamaran Resort Hotel in San Diego, February 4 and 5.

Tickets for the Hanson lecture are $15, pre-registration is encouraged. To register for the lecture or the conference, visit the UCSD CFM website, http://cme.ucsd.edu/bridging/ , or call 858-334-4636.