Our People
Welcome from our Director
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the first point of entry into the world of mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practice at the University of Melbourne. Our establishment is due to the incredible generosity of Martin and Loreto Hosking. We will deliver ground-breaking research, innovative educational offerings and a world-class engagement series. We will also offer an opportunity for authentic practice, guided sessions and a place for inter-faith and wisdom discussions.
We hope you find much to inform your practice, life, work, and growth among the Contemplative Studies Centre.
Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam | Inaugural Director of the Contemplative Studies Centre

Our team
Our RHD students
- Winky Lee
Research project: Mindfulness for emerging adults: Application, perception, and practice
- Nicholas Bowles
Research project: Quantifying the dose-response effects of meditation
- Tim Wood
Research project: Investigating the range of meditation phenomenology
- Fiona Ross
Research project: The Sang's still the thing: Ballad singing as embodied experience
- Alex Burger
Research project: Mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of depression, stress, and anxiety
- Julia Adams
Research project: Differential predictors of engagement in meditation app use
Our research affiliates

Dr Caitlin Hitchcock

Dr Hannah Harewood Gould

Dr Robert Walton

Professor Kathryn Williams
