Richard Davidson is a scientist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He received his B.A. in Psychology from New York University and his Ph.D. in Personality, Psychopathology and Psychophysiology from Harvard University.

Currently Director for the Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, his research is focused on cortical and subcortical substrates of emotion and affective disorders, including depression and anxiety. Participants in imaging experiments include normal adults and young children, and those with, or at risk for, affective and anxiety disorders. Techniques used include quantitative electrophysiology, positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging to make inferences about patterns of regional brain function. A major focus of his current work is on interactions between prefrontal cortex and the amygdala in the regulation of emotion in both normal subjects and patients with affective and anxiety disorders.

A longtime friend of the Dalai Lama, some of his work involves research on the brain as it relates to meditation. Davidson is one of the most important scientists in the Dalai Lama's quest to validate Buddhism with science.

Dr. Davidson's work has been covered several times by the New York Times.

Time magazine named Dr. Davidson one of the worlds top 100 most influential people in a 2006 issue.

External links

• Contact Details & Academic Bibliography ^*
• Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience ^*
• Buddha on the Brain - Wired Magazine ^*
• Dr. Davidson in Time magazine ^*
• Dr. Davidson in The New York Times ^*

Living people