Dr. Britton earned a B.A. in Neuroscience from Colgate University in 1996 and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona in 2007. She the Director of Brown’s Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory which investigates the psychophysiological (EEG, EMG, EKG) and neurocognitive effects of meditation and mindfulness-based interventions for mood and anxiety disorders. Her research investigates mechanisms of action, moderators of treatment outcome, practice-specific effects, and adverse effects of meditation.
She has served as PI of multiple NIH-funded studies, including a dismantling trial that compared the effects of three different types of meditation training programs on pre-frontal cortex functioning in depression; and a collaborative infrastructure grant (UH2) entitled “Mindfulness Influences on Self-Regulation".
She has investigated the neuropsychological mechanisms of meditation-related benefits (paper 1, paper2, paper3; paper4) and how over-training these same processes can lead to harms; practice-specific effects, and moderators of treatment outcome (including gender, and social context) Or in other words: which practices are best or worst suited for which types of people or conditions and why?
Dr. Britton directed the “The Varieties of Contemplative Experience" study, which created a taxonomy of meditation-related challenges and factors that influence severity and duration. Peer reviewed articles about meditation-related harms include a consensus statement by concerned scientsists; mechanisms of action, and best practices for measuring and monitoring.
She is particularly interested in meditation-related changes in sense(s) of self; which types of changes in sense(s) of self increase or decrease wellbeing; and the effects of mindfulness-based programs on self-related processing. Current research investigates "ego dissolution" and other changes in sense of self in a comparative study of meditation and classic psychedelics.
Dr. Britton offers meditation safety and trauma-informed mindfulness trainings to mindfulness organizations, clinicians and educators and provides support services to individuals who are experiencing meditation-related difficulties.
Dr. Britton is a licensed clinical psychologist. As a clinician, she has been trained as an instructor in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and has taught mindfulness to both clinical and non-clinical populations, and in federally-funded clinical trials.
| Loucks EB, Kronish IM, Saadeh FB, Scarpaci MM, Proulx JA, Gutman R, Britton WB, Schuman-Olivier Z. "Adapted Mindfulness Training for Interoception and Adherence to the DASH Diet: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial." JAMA Network Open, vol. 6, no. 11, 2023, pp. e2339243. |
| Loucks EB, Schuman-Olivier Z, Saadeh FB, Scarpaci MM, Nardi WR, Proulx JA, Gutman R, King J, Britton WB, Kronish IM. "Effect of Adapted Mindfulness Training in Participants With Elevated Office Blood Pressure: The MB-BP Study: A Randomized Clinical Trial." Journal of the American Heart Association, vol. 12, no. 11, 2023, pp. e028712. |
| Palitsky, Roman, Cooper, David J., Lindahl, Jared R., Britton, Willoughby B. "Relationships between Religious and Scientific Worldviews in the Narratives of Western Buddhists Reporting Meditation-Related Challenges." Journal of Contemplative Studies, 2023, pp. 1-28. |
| Brown KW, Berry D, Eichel K, Beloborodova P, Rahrig H, Britton WB. "Comparing impacts of meditation training in focused attention, open monitoring, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on emotion reactivity and regulation: Neural and subjective evidence from a dismantling study." Psychophysiology, vol. 59, no. 7, 2022, pp. e14024. |
| Alejandre-Lara, Ana L., Canby, Nicholas K., Wesbecher, Kristen D., Eichel, Kristina, Britton, Willoughby B., Lindahl, Jared R. "How do Mindfulness-Based Programs Improve Depression Symptoms: Selflessness, Valence, or Valenced Self?." Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2022. |
| Hitchcock, Peter F., Britton, Willoughby B., Mehta, Kahini P., Frank, Michael J. "Self-judgment dissected: A computational modeling analysis of self-referential processing and its relationship to trait mindfulness facets and depression symptoms." Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 2022. |
| Lindahl JR, Palitsky R, Cooper DJ, Britton WB. "The roles and impacts of worldviews in the context of meditation-related challenges." Transcultural Psychiatry, vol. 60, no. 4, 2022, pp. 136346152211286. |
| Eichel, Kristina, Gawande, Richa, Acabchuk, Rebecca L., Palitsky, Roman, Chau, Sathiarith, Pham, Andy, Cheaito, Aya, Yam, Dorothy, Lipsky, Jonah, Dumais, Travis, Zhu, Zixi, King, Jean, Fulwiler, Carl, Schuman-Olivier, Zev, Moitra, Ethan, Proulx, Jeff, Alejandre-Lara, Ana, Britton, Willoughby. "A Retrospective Systematic Review of Diversity Variables in Mindfulness Research, 2000–2016." Mindfulness, 2021. |
| Britton, Willoughby B., Lindahl, Jared R., Cooper, David J., Canby, Nicholas K., Palitsky, Roman. "Defining and Measuring Meditation-Related Adverse Effects in Mindfulness-Based Programs." Clinical Psychological Science, 2021, pp. 216770262199634. |
| Britton WB, Desbordes G, Acabchuk R, Peters S, Lindahl JR, Canby NK, Vago DR, Dumais T, Lipsky J, Kimmel H, Sager L, Rahrig H, Cheaito A, Acero P, Scharf J, Lazar SW, Schuman-Olivier Z, Ferrer R, Moitra E. "From Self-Esteem to Selflessness: An Evidence (Gap) Map of Self-Related Processes as Mechanisms of Mindfulness-Based Interventions." Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, vol. 12, 2021, pp. 730972. |
| Goldberg SB, Lam SU, Britton WB, Davidson RJ. "Prevalence of meditation-related adverse effects in a population-based sample in the United States." Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, 2021, pp. 1-15. |
| Canby NK, Eichel K, Lindahl J, Chau S, Cordova J, Britton WB. "The Contribution of Common and Specific Therapeutic Factors to Mindfulness-Based Intervention Outcomes." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, 2021, pp. 603394. |
| Cullen, Brendan, Eichel, Kristina, Lindahl, Jared R., Rahrig, Hadley, Kini, Nisha, Flahive, Julie, Britton, Willoughby B. "The contributions of focused attention and open monitoring in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for affective disturbances: A 3-armed randomized dismantling trial." PLOS ONE, vol. 16, no. 1, 2021, pp. e0244838. |
| Whitfield T, Barnhofer T, Acabchuk R, Cohen A, Lee M, Schlosser M, Arenaza-Urquijo EM, Böttcher A, Britton W, Coll-Padros N, Collette F, Chételat G, Dautricourt S, Demnitz-King H, Dumais T, Klimecki O, Meiberth D, Moulinet I, Müller T, Parsons E, Sager L, Sannemann L, Scharf J, Schild AK, Touron E, Wirth M, Walker Z, Moitra E, Lutz A, Lazar SW, Vago D, Marchant NL. "The Effect of Mindfulness-based Programs on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." Neuropsychology review, 2021. |
| Cooper, David J., Lindahl, Jared R., Palitsky, Roman, Britton, Willoughby B. "Like a Vibration Cascading through the Body”: Energy-Like Somatic Experiences Reported by Western Buddhist Meditators." Religions, vol. 12, no. 12, 2021, pp. 1042. |
| Lohani M, McElvaine K, Payne B, Mitcheom K, Britton W. "A Longitudinal Training Study to Delineate the Specific Causal Effects of Open Monitoring Versus Focused Attention Techniques on Emotional Health." Complementary Therapies in Medicine, vol. 53, 2020, pp. 102525. |
| Hoge, Elizabeth A., Acabchuk, Rebecca L., Kimmel, Hannah, Moitra, Ethan, Britton, Willoughby B., Dumais, Travis, Ferrer, Rebecca A., Lazar, Sara W., Vago, David, Lipsky, Jonah, Schuman-Olivier, Zev, Cheaito, Aya, Sager, Lauren, Peters, Sarah, Rahrig, Hadley, Acero, Pamela, Scharf, Jodi, Loucks, Eric B., Fulwiler, Carl. "Emotion-Related Constructs Engaged by Mindfulness-Based Interventions: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." Mindfulness, vol. 12, no. 5, 2020, pp. 1041-1062. |
| Van Dam NT, van Vugt M, Vago DR, Schmalzl L, Saron CD, Olendzki A, Meissner T, Lazar SW, Gorchov J, Fox KCR, Field BA, Britton W, Brefczynski-Lewis J, Meyer DE. "Letter to the Editor: Miscommunicating Mindfulness." Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 15, no. 5, 2020, pp. 1289-1290. |
| Canby NK, Eichel K, Peters SI, Rahrig H, Britton WB. "Predictors of Out-of-Class Mindfulness Practice Adherence During and After a Mindfulness-Based Intervention." Psychosomatic Medicine, 2020. |
| Lindahl JR, Cooper DJ, Fisher NE, Kirmayer LJ, Britton WB. "Progress or Pathology? Differential Diagnosis and Intervention Criteria for Meditation-Related Challenges: Perspectives From Buddhist Meditation Teachers and Practitioners." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, 2020, pp. 1905. |
| Jared Lindahl, Willoughby Britton. "'I Have This Feeling of Not Really Being Here': Buddhist Meditation and Changes in Sense of Self." Journal of Consciousness Studies, vol. 7-8, no. 27, 2019, pp. 157-183. |
| Britton WB. "Can mindfulness be too much of a good thing? The value of a middle way." Current Opinion in Psychology, vol. 28, 2019, pp. 159-165. |
| Lindahl, Jared R., Britton, Willoughby B., Cooper, David J., Kirmayer, Laurence J. "Challenging and Adverse Meditation Experiences: Toward a Person-Centered Approach." The Oxford Handbook of Meditation, 2019. |
| Loucks, Eric B., Nardi, William R., Gutman, Roee, Kronish, Ian M., Saadeh, Frances B., Li, Yu, Wentz, Anna E., Webb, Julie, Vago, David R., Harrison, Abigail, Britton, Willoughby B. "Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB-BP): Stage 1 single-arm clinical trial." PLOS ONE, vol. 14, no. 11, 2019, pp. e0223095. |
| Britton, Willoughby B., Davis, Jake H., Loucks, Eric B., Peterson, Barnes, Cullen, Brendan H., Reuter, Laura, Rando, Alora, Rahrig, Hadley, Lipsky, Jonah, Lindahl, Jared R. "Dismantling Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Creation and validation of 8-week focused attention and open monitoring interventions within a 3-armed randomized controlled trial." Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 101, 2018, pp. 92-107. |
| Kang, Yoona, Rahrig, Hadley, Eichel, Kristina, Niles, Halsey F., Rocha, Tomas, Lepp, Nathaniel E., Gold, Jonathan, Britton, Willoughby B. "Gender differences in response to a school-based mindfulness training intervention for early adolescents." Journal of School Psychology, vol. 68, 2018, pp. 163-176. |
| Van Dam NT, van Vugt MK, Vago DR, Schmalzl L, Saron CD, Olendzki A, Meissner T, Lazar SW, Kerr CE, Gorchov J, Fox KCR, Field BA, Britton WB, Brefczynski-Lewis JA, Meyer DE. "Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation." Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 13, no. 1, 2018, pp. 36-61. |
| de Jong M, Peeters F, Gard T, Ashih H, Doorley J, Walker R, Rhoades L, Kulich RJ, Kueppenbender KD, Alpert JE, Hoge EA, Britton WB, Lazar SW, Fava M, Mischoulon D. "A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Unipolar Depression in Patients With Chronic Pain." J. Clin. Psychiatry, 2017. |
| Van Dam, Nicholas T., van Vugt, Marieke K., Vago, David R., Schmalzl, Laura, Saron, Clifford D., Olendzki, Andrew, Meissner, Ted, Lazar, Sara W., Gorchov, Jolie, Fox, Kieran C. R., Field, Brent A., Britton, Willoughby B., Brefczynski-Lewis, Julie A., Meyer, David E. "Reiterated Concerns and Further Challenges for Mindfulness and Meditation Research: A Reply to Davidson and Dahl." Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 13, no. 1, 2017, pp. 66-69. |
| Lindahl, Jared R., Fisher, Nathan E., Cooper, David J., Rosen, Rochelle K., Britton, Willoughby B. "The Varieties of Contemplative Experience: A Mixed-Method Study of Meditation-Related Challenges in Western Buddhists." PLOS ONE, vol. 12, no. 5, 2017, pp. 1-32. |
| Rojiani, Rahil, Santoyo, Juan F., Rahrig, Hadley, Roth, Harold D., Britton, Willoughby B. "Women Benefit More Than Men in Response to College-based Meditation Training." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, 2017, pp. 551. |
| Loucks, Eric B., Gilman, Stephen E., Britton, Willoughby B., Gutman, Roee, Eaton, Charles B., Buka, Stephen L. "Associations of Mindfulness with Glucose Regulation and Diabetes." Am J Hlth Behav, vol. 40, no. 2, 2016, pp. 258-267. |
| Loucks, Eric B., Gilman, Stephen E., Britton, Willoughby B., Gutman, Roee, Eaton, Charles B., Buka, Stephen L. "Associations of Mindfulness with Glucose Regulation and Diabetes." Am J Hlth Behav, vol. 40, no. 2, 2016, pp. 258-267. |
| McCown, Donald, Reibel, Diane, Micozzi, Marc S. "Practices for Teacher Development." Resources for Teaching Mindfulness, 2016, pp. 455-469. |
| Britton, Willoughby B. "Scientific Literacy as a Foundational Competency for Teachers of Mindfulness-based Interventions." Resources for Teaching Mindfulness, 2016, pp. 93-119. |
| Loucks, Eric B., Britton, Willoughby B., Howe, Chanelle J., Gutman, Roee, Gilman, Stephen E., Brewer, Judson, Eaton, Charles B., Buka, Stephen L. "Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Obesity and Central Adiposity: the New England Family Study." Int.J. Behav. Med., vol. 23, no. 2, 2015, pp. 224-233. |
| Van Dam NT, Brown A, Mole TB, Davis JH, Britton WB, Brewer JA. "Development and Validation of the Behavioral Tendencies Questionnaire." PLoS ONE, vol. 10, no. 11, 2015, pp. e0140867. |
| Loucks, Eric B., Schuman-Olivier, Zev, Britton, Willoughby B., Fresco, David M., Desbordes, Gaelle, Brewer, Judson A., Fulwiler, Carl. "Mindfulness and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: State of the Evidence, Plausible Mechanisms, and Theoretical Framework." Current Cardiology Reports, vol. 17, no. 12, 2015, pp. 112. |
| Garland, Sheila N., Britton, Willoughby, Agagianian, Noemi, Goldman, Roberta E., Carlson, Linda E., Ong, Jason C. "Mindfulness, Affect, and Sleep." Sleep and Affect, 2015, pp. 339-373. |
| Lindahl, Jared R., Kaplan, Christopher T., Winget, Evan M., Britton, Willoughby B. "A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 4, 2014, pp. 973. |
| Britton WB, Lepp NE, Niles HF, Rocha T, Fisher NE, Gold JS. "A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children." Journal of school psychology, vol. 52, no. 3, 2014, pp. 263-78. |
| Loucks EB, Britton WB, Howe CJ, Eaton CB, Buka SL. "Positive Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Cardiovascular Health: the New England Family Study." Int.J. Behav. Med., vol. 22, no. 4, 2014, pp. 540-50. |
| Britton WB, Lindahl JR, Cahn BR, Davis JH, Goldman RE. "Awakening is not a metaphor: the effects of Buddhist meditation practices on basic wakefulness." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 1307, no. 1, 2013, pp. 64-81. |
| Britton, Willoughby B., Brown, Anne-Catharine, Kaplan, Christopher T., Goldman, Roberta E., DeLuca, Marie, Rojiani, Rahil, Reis, Harry, Xi, Mandy, Chou, Jonathan C., McKenna, Faye, Hitchcock, Peter, Rocha, Tomas A., Himmelfarb, Josh, Margolis, David M., Niles, Halsey F., Eckert, Allison M., Frank, Tana. "Contemplative Science: An Insider Prospectus." New Directions for Teaching and Learning, vol. 2013, no. 134, 2013, pp. 13-29. |
| Capecelatro MR, Sacchet MD, Hitchcock PF, Miller SM, Britton WB. "Major depression duration reduces appetitive word use: an elaborated verbal recall of emotional photographs." Journal of Psychiatric Research, vol. 47, no. 6, 2013, pp. 809-15. |
| Roberts-Wolfe, Douglas, Sacchet, Matthew, Hastings, Elizabeth, Roth, Harold, Britton, Willoughby. "Mindfulness Training Alters Emotional Memory Recall Compared to Active Controls: Support for an Emotional Information Processing Model of Mindfulness." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 6, 2012, pp. 15. |
| Britton WB, Shahar B, Szepsenwol O, Jacobs WJ. "Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy improves emotional reactivity to social stress: results from a randomized controlled trial." Behavior Therapy, vol. 43, no. 2, 2012, pp. 365-80. |
| Britton WB, Haynes PL, Fridel KW, Bootzin RR. "Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy improves polysomnographic and subjective sleep profiles in antidepressant users with sleep complaints." Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, vol. 81, no. 5, 2012, pp. 296-304. |
| de Dios MA, Herman DS, Britton WB, Hagerty CE, Anderson BJ, Stein MD. "Motivational and mindfulness intervention for young adult female marijuana users." Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, vol. 42, no. 1, 2012, pp. 56-64. |
| van Vugt MK, Hitchcock P, Shahar B, Britton W. "The effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on affective memory recall dynamics in depression: a mechanistic model of rumination." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 6, 2012, pp. 257. |
| Silverstein RG, Brown AC, Roth HD, Britton WB. "Effects of Mindfulness Training on Body Awareness to Sexual Stimuli." Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 73, no. 9, 2011, pp. 817-825. |
| Shahar, Ben, Britton, Willoughby B., Sbarra, David A., Figueredo, Aurelio Jose, Bootzin, Richard R. "Mechanisms of Change in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Preliminary Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial." International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, vol. 3, no. 4, 2010, pp. 402-418. |
| Britton WB, Haynes PL, Fridel KW, Bootzin RR. "Polysomnographic and subjective profiles of sleep continuity before and after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in partially remitted depression." Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 72, no. 6, 2010, pp. 539-48. |
| Britton WB, Bootzin RR, Cousins JC, Hasler BP, Peck T, Shapiro SL. "The contribution of mindfulness practice to a multicomponent behavioral sleep intervention following substance abuse treatment in adolescents: a treatment-development study." Substance Abuse, vol. 31, no. 2, 2010, pp. 86-97. |
| Payne, Jessica D., Britton, Willoughby B., Bootzin, Richard R., Nadel, Lynn. "Beyond acetylcholine: Next steps for sleep and memory research." Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 28, no. 1, 2005, pp. 77-77. |
|
Shapiro S, Britton W, Walsh R.
"An analysis of recent meditation research and suggestions for future directions." Journal of Meditation Research, vol. 10, 2004, pp. 2-27.
|
| Britton WB, Bootzin RR. "Near-death experiences and the temporal lobe." Psychological Science, vol. 15, no. 4, 2004, pp. 254-8. |
| Payne, Jessica D., Nadel, Lynn, Britton, Willoughby B., Jacobs, W. Jake. "The Biopsychology of Trauma and Memory." Memory and Emotion, 2004, pp. 76-128. |
Dr. Britton is the Director of the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory (CLANlab).
The CLANlab researches the effects of contemplative practices on cognitive, emotional, and neurophysiological processes in both clinical and non-clinical settings.
Studies in clinical settings have examined the psychological and neurophysiological effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in samples with a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, stress, sleep problems, trauma, substance abuse, and chronic or terminal illness.
Studies in non-clinical settings have investigated the effects of school-based mindfulness training programs in both middle schoolers, college students, medical students and residents, and physicians and nurses.
The CLANlab is probably best known for its research on meditation-related challenges and adverse effects. The "Varieties of Contemplative Experience," study identified 59 categories of meditation-related challenges in western Buddhist meditators, and subsequent clinical trials and epidemiological studies have documented meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based interventions and apps.
The CLANlab is especially interested in investigating practice-specific effects, moderators of treatment outcome, and meditation safety or, in other words, “Which practices are best or worst suited for which types of people or conditions and why?”
Click Here to go to CLANlab Website.
Dr. Britton is the Director of the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory (CLANlab).
The CLANlab researches the effects of contemplative practices on cognitive, emotional, and neurophysiological processes in both clinical and non-clinical settings.
Studies in clinical settings have examined the psychological and neurophysiological effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in samples with a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, stress, sleep problems, trauma, substance abuse, and chronic or terminal illness.
Studies in non-clinical settings have investigated the effects of school-based mindfulness training programs in both middle schoolers, college students, medical students and residents, and physicians and nurses. We have also recently completed a qualitative study on "The Varieties of Contemplative Experience," which investigates the range of experiences associated with meditation based upon interviews with more than 60 Buddhist practitioners and 30 Buddhist teachers.
The CLANlab is especially interested in investigating practice-specific effects, moderators of treatment outcome, and meditation safety or, in other words, “Which practices are best or worst suited for which types of people or conditions and why?”
Click Here to go to CLANlab Website.
Current Support
1. NCCAM/ NIH K23 AT006328-01A1, Mentored Patient Oriented Career Development Award
Britton (PI) 8/1/2011-7/30/2017, Direct Costs: $668,385
2. Bial Foundation
The Contemplative Development Mapping Project
Britton (PI) 1 /1/2013 - 12 / 31 / 2016, Direct Costs: $60,559 (45,400 Euros)
3. 1440 Foundation Britton/Lindahl (PIs) 6/1/15-5/31/17
Assessing Beneficial Relationship Factors that Support Contemplative Development
The goals of this study is to assess how different types of social relationships (parents, friends, instructor etc.) impact (promote/undermine) meditation practice success or mindfulness-based treatment outcomes, including adverse effects, non-compliance and attrition
4. Lenz Foundation Britton (PI) 11/20/2014-5/31/18
Brown Contemplative Studies Community Engagement Internships
This grant funds summer internships for Brown Contemplative Studies students at community organizations that provide mindfulness-based programs
5. Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research
NIH P30 AG015281 Vicki Johnson-Lawrence (PI) 07/01/2015-06/30/2016
The New Jim Crow Won't Kill Me: The feasibility of a culturally appropriate mindfulness based intervention to reduce chronic stress and poor health among African Americans with incarcerated family members
Role: Consultant
6. NIH 1UH2AT009145-01 (Loucks, Britton, King, co-PIs) 10/1/15-8/30/20
“Mindfulness Influences on Self-Regulation: Mental and Physical Health Implications”
This project offers the opportunity to clarify which self-regulation measures are of greatest clinical use related to Mindful-Based Interventions (MBI) and clinical behavior change outcomes. Furthermore, this study should identify which MBI elements may be most efficacious at engaging self-regulation, with resulting impacts on clinical behavior change outcomes including medical regimen adherence.
Role: PI, Direct Costs (year 1): $763,928 Total Costs: $4,699,129
7. NIH 1UH2AT009145-01 (Loucks, Britton, King, co-PIs) 10/1/16-9/30/17
“Mindfulness Influences on Self-Regulation: Mental and Physical Health Implications” Administrative Supplement. This supplement supports a systematic review and meta-analysis of mindfulness-based interventions on self-regulation-related targets. Role: PI
8. .Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Research Grant (PI, Lindahl) 8/1/16-7/31/17
“Liberating the Impurities from the Body: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Somatic Experiences
among American and Indian Meditators in the Goenka Vipassanā Tradition”. This project investigates somatic experiences and Indian and American Buddhist meditators.
Role: Co-I Direct costs: $130,960
Past Support
1. Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Institute Dissertation Award
Mindfulness Meditation and Depression: Possible Neurophysiological Mechanisms"
Britton (PI) 12/1/03-11/31/03, $500
2. Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Scholar Award
"Mindfulness Meditation and Depression: Possible Neurophysiological Mechanisms"
Britton (PI) 1/1/04-12/31/-05 $10,000
3. American Association for University Women Dissertation Grant
"Mindfulness Meditation and Depression: Possible Neurophysiological Mechanisms"
Britton (PI) 6/1/04-5/31/05, $20,000
4. NCCAM T32-AT001287
National Research Service Award, Predoctoral Fellowship
This award provided training in complementary and alternative medicine research at the University of Arizona's Program in Integrative Medicine (Director Andrew Weil, M.D.)
Iris Bell (PI) 6/1/05-5/31/06 , $20,772
5. Mind and Life Institute Varela Grant
"Mindfulness Meditation and Depression: Possible Neurophysiological Mechanisms"
Britton (PI) 12/1/04-11/30/08, $20,000
6. T32 MH067533-05
National Research Service Award, Postdoctoral Fellowship
This award supported in training in treatment research, including several controlled trials of mindfulness meditation in school-based populations.
Ivan Miller (PI) 6/30/08-6/29/10, $84,996
7. Mind and Life Institute Varela Grant,
The Effects of School-based Mindfulness Training
Britton (PI) 2/1/09-9/31/11, $30,000
8. The Hershey Foundation
Contemplative Studies Program Development grant for interdisciplinary research, and faculty support.
Roth, Britton (co-PIs) 7/1/11-6/30/14 Total Award = $150,000
Role: Director of Clinical Research (PI) $15,000
9. Mind and Life Institute
Contemplative Studies Fellowship
Roth (PI) 9/1/12-8/30/14, Direct Costs: $30,000
Role: Director of Clinical Research
10. Mind and Life Varela Award
“The Varieties of Contemplative Experience”
Britton (PI) 1 /1/2013 - 12 / 31 / 2015 Direct Costs: $15,000
BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
1. Payne, J. D., Britton, W.B., Nadel, L., and Jacobs, W. J. (2004). The biopsychology of trauma and memory. In D. Reisberg and P. Hertel (Eds.), Memory and Emotion (pp. 76-128). New York: Oxford University Press.
2. Britton, W.B., Bootzin, R.R., Cousins, J.C., Hasler, B.P., Peck, T., and Shapiro, S.L. (2012). The contribution of mindfulness practice to a multi-component behavioral sleep intervention following substance Abuse treatment in adolescents. In Marcus, M., and Zgierska, A. (Eds). Mindfulness-Related Treatments and Addiction Recovery. London: Taylor and Francis.
3. Britton, W.B. , Brown, A.C., Kaplan, C.T., Goldman, R.E., DeLuca, M., Rojiani, R., Reis, H., Xi, M., Chou, J.C., McKenna, F., Hitchcock, P., Rocha, T.A. Himmelfarb, J., Margolis, D.M. Niles, H.F., Eckert, A.M., Frank, A.(2013) Contemplative Science: An Insider’s Prospectus. In Marilla Svinicki (ed). New Directions for Teaching and Learning: Contemplative Studies in Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
4. Britton, W.B. and Sydnor, A. (2015). Neurobiological Models of Meditation: Implications for Training Young People. In Willard, C. and Salzman, A. (Eds.) Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens. New York: Guilford
5. Garland, S.N., Britton, W.B., Agagianian, N., Goldman, R.E, Carslon, L.E., Ong, J.C. (2015). Mindfulness, Affect, and Sleep: Current Perspectives and Future Directions. In K.A. Babson and M.T. Felder (eds) Sleep and Affect. New York: Elsevier.
6. Britton, W.B. (2016). (Chapter 5) Scientific literacy as a foundational competency for teachers of mindfulness-based interventions. In McCown, D., Reibel, D., and Micozzi, MS (eds). Resources for Teaching Mindfulness: An International Handbook. New York: Springer.
7. Britton, W.B. (2016). (Chapter 34) Self-Inquiry: Investigating Confirmation Bias. In McCown, D., Reibel, D., and Micozzi, MS (eds). Resources for Teaching Mindfulness. An International Handbook. New York: Springer.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | PhD | University of Arizona |
| 2002 | MA | University of Arizona |
| 1996 | BA | Colgate University |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, mood disorders treatment research | 2008-2010 | Providence, RI |
| Intern | The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, clinical psychology | 2006-2007 | Providence, RI |
Honors
2009 Research featured at the Boston Museum of Science
2010 Mind and Life Institute Senior Fellow
2011 Nominated for the Karen T. Romer Prize for Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring
2011 Invited TED Talk
2012 Nominated for the Society for Psychophysiological Research Early Career Award
2012 Nominated for the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in Public Health
2012 Invited presentation to the Dalai Lama, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, April 24th 2012
2012 Nominated for the Karen T. Romer Prize for Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring 2012 Gold Humanism Honor Society Visiting Professorship, Brown University 2013 Karen T. Romer Prize for Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring, Brown University
2015 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring in Public Health, Brown University
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Brewer, Judson | Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Buka, Stephen | Professor of Epidemiology |
| Carskadon, Mary | Adjunct Professor of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Epstein-Lubow, Gary | Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Associate Professor of Medical Science, Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice |
| Flynn, Ellen | Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine |
| Gaudiano, Brandon | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences |
| Lindahl, Jared | Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies |
| Loucks, Eric | Professor of Epidemiology, Associate Professor of Medicine, Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences |
| Miller, Ivan | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Peters, Jessica | Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Roth, Harold | Professor of Religious Studies and East Asian Studies |
| Salmoirago-Blotcher, Elena | Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Associate Professor of Medicine |
| Schiffman, Fred | Sigal Family Professor of Humanistic Medicine, Professor of Medicine |
| Stein, Michael | Adjunct Professor of Medicine |
| Trikalinos, Thomas | Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Director of the Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health |
| Clinical Psychologist | State of Rhode Island | - | # #PS01973 |
| Clinical Consultant. Butler Hospital, 2009-2010 |
| Staff Psychologist. The Neurodevelopment Center, Brown University Medical School, 2009-Present |
| Study Intervention Therapist. Butler Hospital, 2009-2010 |
2019 Fall Course Instructor COST 1082 Me, Myself, and I: Exploring Senses of Self from a Multidisciplinary Perspective, Brown University
2018 Fall Course Instructor COST 0020 Meditation and the Brain, Brown University
2017 Fall Course Instructor COST 0020 Meditation and the Brain, Brown University
2016 Fall Course Intructor HMAN1972 Me, Myself, and I: Exploring Senses of Self from a Multidisciplinary Perspective, Brown University
2014 Fall Course Instructor HMAN1971 Cross Cultural Approaches to Death and Dying (co-taught with Jared Lindahl, Mitchell Levy and Fred Schiffman)
2008-present Course Instructor, BIOL5420:Mindfulness in Clinical Practice: A Primer for Medical Students, Brown University Medical School
2008-present Course Instructor, BIOL1950: Directed Research/Independent Study, Brown University
Course Instructor, PSYCH456: The Psychology of Death and Loss
Department of Psychology, University of Arizona
Course Instructor, PSYCH977 Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.
Semester-long course for advanced clinical psychology graduate students. Department of Psychology, University of Arizona.
| COST 0200 - Meditation and the Brain |
| COST 1082 - Me, Myself, and I: Exploring Senses of Self from a Multidisciplinary Perspective |
