​Current Team​

This project is based at the University of California, Davis Center for Mind and Brain. Our research team, led by Clifford Saron and Quinn Conklin, consists of experts in contemplative science, health and social psychology, molecular biology, social work, and neuroscience. Our research program focuses on the effects of meditation practice on psychological well-being and physical health. Our efforts to make our research practices inclusive and accessible are guided by Dr. Kamilah Majied—a social scientist and educator who specializes in integrating contemplative practices into anti-racism and inclusivity efforts. Below you will find brief descriptions of the researchers who helped to design and carry out this study.

Quinn Conklin, PhD
​Co-Principal Investigator

Quinn Conklin (she/her) is the co-Principal Investigator of this project and was a doctoral student and postdoctoral scholar at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain during data collection. The majority of Quinn’s research has investigated the effects of intensive residential meditation retreats on biomarkers of stress, inflammation, cellular aging, and social affiliation. She is interested in the biological and relational consequences of adversity and trauma, and the use of contemplative practices to facilitate healing. Her primary aspirations are to facilitate healing through her research and in her personal life. Outside of the lab, Quinn is an avid gardener and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Clifford Saron, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator

Cliff Saron (he/him) is the co-Principal Investigator of this project. He is a Research Scientist and core faculty member at the Center for Mind and Brain and the MIND Institute at the University of California at Davis. His research focuses on the effects of mindfulness and meditation training. Since 2003 he has directed the Shamatha Project, a collaborative, multidisciplinary, and longitudinal investigation of the effects of intensive meditation on physiological and psychological processes central to well-being, using brain and behavioral measures of attention and emotion regulation relevant to prosocial outcomes. His other research area investigates sensory processing in autistic children to better understand how they experience everyday sensory environments. For fun he presents workshops integrating neuroscience, contemplative practice, and music performance, “The Buddha, the Brain and Bach,” with his wife, San Francisco Symphony cellist Barbara Bogatin. One of his greatest joys is learning from his two adult children.

​Kamilah Majied, PhD
Co-Investigator and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant

Kamilah Majied (she/her) is a Professor in the Department of Social Work at California State University at Monterey Bay. Dr. Majied is a mental health therapist, clinical educator, researcher, and internationally engaged consultant on building inclusivity and equity using meditative practices. In this project, Kamilah has helped to create culturally sensitive study materials and will guide the presentation and publication of our findings. She will serve as a clinically trained and trauma-informed resource to participants. To learn more about Kamilah, click here. You can also find information about her upcoming book, Joyfully Just here.

Jennifer Pokorny, PhD
Co-Investigator and Data Scientist

Jen Pokorny (she/her) was formerly a Postdoctoral Scholar and Project Scientist in the Saron lab. She is a continuing collaborator and led a team of research assistants on analyzing the qualitative and open-ended questionnaire responses. Jen is also a freelance data scientist, and in this role, set up the study’s data processing and documentation pipeline, developed an automated process to generate individualized participant reports, and created an interactive data visualization and analysis tool to explore and share data and results from this study. Outside of her work in the Saron lab, she is also the chief program officer of the conservation-based non-profit, Think Elephants International.

Savannah VandenBos, BS
Study Coordinator and Consultant ​

Savannah VandenBos (she/her) coordinated the data collection and participant communication for this study as a Junior Specialist (full-time research assistant) in the Saron She is now earning her Masters in Social Work at Sacramento State and  continues to be involved in the project as a consulting scholar. Since data collection ended, Savannah has coded qualitative questionnaire responses and worked on the data processing pipeline. She is working with Dr. Pokorny on a manuscript analyzing qualitative reports about the advantages and disadvantages that emerged in the need for most meditation training to move to online formats as a result of the pandemic. She will also be leading the effort to return personalized reports to study participants. 

​​Brandon King, PhD
​Co-Investigator

Brandon King (he/him) is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Saron lab, and helped to envision the study. During the baseline assessment, Brandon prepared and shipped the majority of the sample collection-kits and helped to receive and process the blood samples returned. You probably won't interact with Brandon much, but he is keeping things running behind the scenes.

Jue Lin, PhD
​Co-Investigator

Jue Lin (she/her) is a molecular biologist and Director of the Telomere Biology Core Lab at UC San Francisco. She is a core member of the Telomere Research Network and has been instrumental in developing techniques to measure telomeres and supporting studies around the world. She and her lab conducted the telomere assays for this study and are collaborating on the manuscripts involving those data. You can learn more about Jue's work here. ​

Alea Skwara, PhD
​Co-Investigator

Alea Skwara (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Saron Lab at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain, where she also completed her PhD in Psychology, with a focus in Cognitive Neuroscience. She helped to envision the study and continues to be part of the collaborative team as we work to make the data available through traditional academic and community access routes. Alea’s primary research focus is on the cultivation of compassion and how we can engage with suffering in more adaptive ways. She is particularly interested in how we can bridge the gap between research and policy to help build more just and compassionate social systems. In addition to her identity as a scientist, Alea is a theater kid, opera and folk singer, mountain hippie, and animal-lover. She hopes that her work and life will contribute to our collective realization and enactment of our fundamental interdependence.

Amitoj Singh, BS
Research Assistant

Amitoj Singh (he/him) is a Research Assistant in the Saron Lab. Ami joined the lab after the data collection process had ended. He has focused on developing comprehensive descriptions for the questionnaires used in the study. Ami has also contributed to the restructuring of the CCC website. Ami will also be working with Savannah in order to return personalized reports to study participants. As a recent graduate from UC Davis, Ami is currently taking a gap year as he works towards his goal of attending medical school. Outside of the lab, Ami enjoys traveling, photography, and picking up a new book whenever he can.

Project Alumni 

Amber Davis, PhD
Clinical Consultant

Amber Davis (she/her) worked on the project during her tenure as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the UC Davis MIND Institute. She is now a Postdoctoral Scholar at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Davis is a trauma-informed mental health practitioner and researcher, with a PhD in Social Work from Howard University. Amber provided clinical support to participants during study debriefing sessions, and provided insight on how to make the study materials more inclusive. She will continue to be involved in analyzing some aspects of the data collected.

Prerana Dewan
Research Assistant ​

Prerana Dewan (she/her) graduated from UC Davis in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. As a former research assistant for the CCC study, Prerana played a vital role in data collection, participant communication, and data processing. Currently, Prerana works in New York City as a Clinical Research Coordinator for Dermatological trials and is applying to osteopathic medical schools. In her free time, Prerana loves cooking, exploring new parks, and listening to music.​

Serigne Diaw
Research Assistant ​

Serigne Diaw (he/him) was a 4th year undergraduate student studying Cognitive Science at UC Davis with a computational emphasis when he joined the project. Serigne helped to code qualitative questionnaire responses for this project. In his free time, he enjoys watching soccer and listening to music.

Jacob Fernandez
Research Assistant ​

Jacob Fernandez (he/him) graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor's degree in nutrition in 2019. Jacob joined our team in March of 2021, where his primary responsibilities include preparing and shipping your sample collection kits and receiving and processing your blood samples throughout the 1-year follow-up. He is also helping with data processing and management. Jacob is interested in studying meditation through neuroscience and is working towards attending graduate school in the near future. ​ ​​

Harleen Gill
Research Assistant ​

Harleen Gill (she/her) was a 4th year undergraduate studying Global Disease Biology at UC Davis when she joined the lab. Harleen helped with data collection and participant communication for the 8-month and 1-year follow-ups. In her free time, she loves taking care of her plants and roller skating. ​
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Matthew Goodman
​Research Assistant ​

Matthew Goodman (he/him) was a 2nd year undergraduate student studying Cognitive Science and Design at UC Davis while he worked on the project. As a research assistant he assisted with participant communication, data collection, and website management. In his free time, he enjoys meditation, cold therapy, and rock climbing.

Arielle Limberis, MA
​Research Assistant

Arielle Limberis (she/her) was a postbaccalaureate Research Assistant in the Saron lab. She has since completed a master's degree at Columbia University in the Science of Spirituality. Arielle helped to program the questionnaires and to coordinate the shipment of your sample-collection kits and your payments during the baseline assessment. Arielle is a traditional Ashtanga, Hatha, and Bhakti yoga and meditation student and instructor. She is a student of Baba Hari Dass and enjoys a daily sadhana practice following Babaji’s teachings. Her favorite form of dhyana (concentration/meditation) is japa (repetition of Om).

Alex Norman, PhD
Consultant

Alex Norman (he/him) was formerly a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Saron Lab and is a continuing collaborator with the lab. Working with Jen Pokorny, he contributed to the design and early phases of analysis of the qualitative elements of the project. Alex is currently the Director of Academic Programs at the Graduate Research School, Western Sydney University, where he oversees the research Masters and Doctoral programs. In addition to his work with the lab, Alex's research interests are on the cognitive and epistemological roles writing plays in knowledge work, and the extent to which norms of professional writing are taught knowledge vs learned behaviors. He is also the co-founder of the professional writing training and consulting firm, JLX. In his spare time he likes hand-tool woodwork and is pursuing his black belt in dad jokes.

Cavan Patterson, BS
Research Assistant

Cavan Patterson (she/her) began working with the Saron Lab as a UC Davis undergraduate in 2017. She then went on to complete a Masters degree at Dominican University of California in collaboration with the Buck Institute. During the initial phases of the project, Cavan helped with data management, coordinating payments, and coding qualitative questionnaire responses. She also contributed to another project in the lab examining changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor in relation to intensive meditation retreat participation.