Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam


Inaugural Director, Contemplative Studies Centre

Nicholas is an internationally regarded psychologist, academic, and educator, especially known for his work with respect to the measurement and application of mindfulness and meditation. He has a strong commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue, empirical rigour, and contextual consideration when it comes to meditation.

Biography

Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam's research focuses on those things that make us most like robots (i.e., algorithmic approaches to learning and decision-making) and least like robots (i.e., developing capacities for introspection and insight of self-concept via meditation research). Prior to joining the University of Melbourne, Nicholas worked at New York University, the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, and the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Nicholas is the inaugural Director of the Contemplative Studies Centre.

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