CURRICULUM VITAE BRITTA KAREN HÖLZEL Email: britta@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu EDUCATION 2008 PhD, Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, University of Giessen, Germany 2004 Psychology Diploma (equivalent to Masters), Johann Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS 2013 2014 Research Fellow (Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin), Institut für Medizinische Psychologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany 2008 2013 Postdoctoral Fellow, Psychiatric Neuroscience Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School 2009 2013 Fellow (EU Gastwissenschaftlerin), Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus- Liebig University, Giessen, Germany 2005 2006 Research Associate, Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology, University of Giessen, Germany 1999 2002 Research Assistant, Department of General Psychology, University of Frankfurt, Germany ACADEMIC TEACHING 2006 2007 Relaxation techniques: Yoga and meditation, Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology, University of Giessen, Germany 2005 2006 Affective Disorders, Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology, University of Giessen, Germany 2004 2005 Experimental Biopsychology, Department of Biological Psychology, University of Frankfurt, Germany PAST FUNDING 2013 2014 Postdoctoral Researcher Position, Kusala Foundation, Berlin 2010 2012 Templeton Positive Neuroscience Award (Co-PI with Mohammed R. Milad), University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center and John Templeton Foundation 2010 Varela Research Grant, Mind & Life Institute 2009 2012 Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship for Career Development, European Commission 2007 Varela Research Grant, Mind & Life Institute 2006 2007 PhD fellowship, Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg, Germany
HONORS AND AWARDS 2011 #1 in ScienceDirect Top 25 Hottest Articles in Neuroscience, Jan-March 2011 2009 Prize for PhD dissertation, Society for Meditation and Meditation Research, Germany 2009 Trainee Travel Award, North American Research Conference on Complementary & Integrative Medicine 2009 2007 Travel Award 2007 Mind & Life Summer Research Institute by the German Research Foundation (DFG) 2006 Travel Award to Amity University, Delhi, India by the German Research Foundation (DFG) PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS Gard, T., Taquet, M., Dixit, R., Hölzel, B.K., de Montjoye, Y.-A., Brach, N., Salat, D., Dickerson, B.C., Gray, J.R., & Lazar, S. (2014). Fluid intelligence and brain functional organization in aging yoga and meditation practitioners. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. Singleton, O., Hölzel, B.K., Vangel, M., Brach, N., Carmody, J., & Lazar, S.W. (2014). Change in brainstem gray matter concentration following a mindfulness-based intervention is correlated with improvement in psychological well-being. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Desbordes, G., Gard, T., Hoge, E.A., Hölzel, B.K., Kerr, C., Lazar, S.W., Olendzki, A., & Vago, D. (2014). Moving beyond mindfulness: Defining equanimity as an outcome measure in meditation and contemplative research. Mindfulness. Gard, T., Hölzel, B.K., & Lazar, S. (2014). The potential effects of meditation on age-related cognitive decline : A systematic review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1307 (1), 89 103. Hoge, E.A., Hölzel, B.K., Marques, L., Metcalf, C., Brach, N., Lazar, S.W., & Simon, N.M. (2013). Mindfulness and Self-Compassion in Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Examining Predictors of Disability. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, doi :10.1155/2013/576258 Hölzel, B.K., Hoge, E.A., Greve, D.N., Gard, T., Creswell, J.D., Brown, K.W., Barrett, L.F., Vaitl, D., & Lazar, S. (2013). Neural mechanisms of symptom improvements in generalized anxiety disorder following mindfulness meditation training. NeuroImage : Clinical, 2, 448-458. Gard, T., Brach, N., Hölzel, B.K., Noggle, J. J., Conboy, L. A., & Lazar, S. W. (2012). Effects of a yogabased intervention for young adults on quality of life and perceived stress: The potential mediating roles of mindfulness and self-compassion. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 7(3), 165-175. Deckersbach, T., Hölzel, B.K., Eisner, L.R., Stange, J.P., Peckham, A.D., Lazar, S.W., Daugherty, D.D., Rauch, S.L., Nierenberg, A.A. (2012). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for non-remitted patients with bipolar disorder. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 18(2), 133-141. Gard, T., Hölzel, B.K., Sack, A.T., Hempel, H., Lazar, S.W., Vaitl, D., & Ott, U. (2012). Pain attenuation through mindfulness is associated with decreased cognitive control and increased sensory processing in the brain. Cerebral Cortex, 22(11), 2692-2702.
Hölzel, B.K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S.M., Gard, T., Lazar, S.W. (2011). Meditation practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter concentration. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191, 36-42. Hölzel, B.K., Lazar, S.W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D.R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6, 537-559. Stange, J.P., Eisner, L.R., Hölzel, B.K., Peckham, A.D., Dougherty, D.D., Rauch, S.L., Nierenberg, A.A., Lazar, S.W., & Deckersbach, T. (2011). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for bipolar disorder: Effects on cognitive functioning. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 17(6), 410-419. Hölzel, B.K., Carmody, J., Evans, K.C., Hoge, E.A., Dusek, J.A., Morgan, L., Pitman, R.K., & Lazar, S.W. (2010). Stress reduction correlates with structural changes in the amygdala. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 5, 11-17. Hölzel, B.K., Ott, U., Gard, T., Hempel, H., Weygandt, M., Morgen, K., & Vaitl, D. (2008). Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 3, 55 61. Hölzel, B.K., Ott, U., Hempel, H., Hackl, A., Wolf, K., Stark, R., & Vaitl, D. (2007). Differential engagement of anterior cingulate and adjacent medial frontal cortex in adept meditators and non-meditators. Neuroscience Letters, 421, 16 21. Hartig, J., Hölzel, B., & Moosbrugger, H. (2007). A confirmatory analysis of item reliability trends (CAIRT): Differentiating true score and error variance in the analysis of item context effects. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 42, 157 183. Hölzel, B.K. & Ott, U. (2006). Relationships between meditation depth, absorption, meditation practice, and mindfulness: A latent variable approach. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 38, 179 199. OTHER PUBLICATIONS Deckersbach, T., Hölzel, B.K., Eisner, L., Lazar, S.W., & Nierenberg, A. (2014). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Bipolar Disorder. New York: Guilford. Hölzel, B.K., Gard, T., & Ott, U. (2013). Mechanismen der Achtsamkeit: eine Betrachtung aus konzeptueller und neuronaler Perspektive. In A. Knuf & M. Hammer (Eds.), Die Entdeckung der Achtsamkeit in der Arbeit mit psychisch erkrankten Menschen. Köln: Psychiatrie Verlag. Ott, U. & Hölzel, B.K. (2013). Meditation research. In A. Runehov & L. Oviedo (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions. Heidelberg: Springer Verlag GmbH. Ott, U., & Hölzel, B.K. (2011). Meditationsforschung: neuroanatomische Befunde [Meditation research: neuroanatomical findings]. Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur [German Journal for Acupuncture], 54, 17-19. Ott, U., Hölzel, B.K., & Vaitl, D. (2011). Brain structure and meditation. How spiritual practice shapes the brain. In H.Walach & S.Schmidt (Eds.), Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality. Proceedings of the Expert Meeting in Freiburg/Breisgau 2008. Berlin: Springer. PDF. Hölzel, B. (2008). Eine betörende Flucht aus der Gedankenflut [Escaping the flood of thoughts]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [invited newspaper article], April 2008.
MINDFULNESS-BASED PROFESSIONAL TRAINING/ACTIVITIES Since 2011 Teaching professional trainings for mindfulness instructors, Arbor Seminare und Giessener Forum, Germany 2011-2012 Teaching, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts, under supervision by senior teachers 2008-2010 Teaching, MBCT for Bipolar patients and MBSR for healthy adults at Massachusetts General Hospital, under supervision by senior teachers from the Center for Mindfulness (CfM), University of Massachusetts 2009/2010 Certificate Program in Mindfulness and Psychotherapy (60 CE hours), Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, Cambridge, MA 2010-2012 Three additional professional trainings in MBSR, by M. Blacker, F. Meleo- Meyer and S. Santorelli 2009 Teacher Development Intensive in MBSR, with M. Blacker and F. Meleo-Meyer (8 day intensive program) 2008 9-Day Intensive Practicum, with M. Blacker and F. Meleo-Meyer 2007 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in mind-body medicine, with J. Kabat-Zinn and S. Santorelli, Holzkirchen, Germany INVITED TALKS (SELECTION) 23rd Annual International Psychological Trauma Conference, Trauma Center, Boston, MA, June 6 th 9 th, 2012 Milton Erickson Gesellschaft Jahrestagung, Milton Erickson Gesellschaft fuer Klinische Hypnose, Bad Kissingen, March 22nd, 2012 Integrative Medicine Fellowship Conference, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, February 8th, 2012 Fachveranstaltung demenz manifest, Psychosoziale Dienste Vienna, Austria, September 30 th, 2011 Mind/Body Medicine Summer School, University Duisburg Essen, Germany, July 14th 17th, 2011 Metro-Area Research Group on Awareness and Meditation (MARGAM), New York University, New York, March 10th, 2011 Tufts Psychiatric Grand Rounds (with Thilo Deckersbach on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Bipolar Disorder), Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, February 22nd, 2011 Meditation & Wissenschaft 2010, Interdisziplinaerer Kongress zur Meditations- und Bewusstseinsforschung, Berlin, Germany, November 26 th -27 th, 2010 Massachusetts Psychiatric Society CME Program, Introduction to Mindfulness-Based Treatments in Psychiatry, Waltham, MA, October 2nd, 2010 Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society Lecture Series, held at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, September 7 th, 2010 Harvard Medical School, Department of Continuing Education: Meditation and Psychotherapy: Refining the Art, Boston, MA, May 7 th -8 th, 2010 8 th Annual International Scientific Conference for Clinicians, Researchers, and Educators, Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, April 7 th 11 th, 2010 Advanced Behavioral Medicine Seminar, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, March 25 th, 2010
5 th Annual Summer Session on Contemplative Curriculum Development of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, held at Smith College, Northampton, MA, August 9 th 14 th, 2009 INVITED REVIEWER Grants: National Science Foundation, USA; MS Research, Australia Peer-reviewed articles: Biological Psychiatry, Perspectives on Psychological Science, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Neuroreport, Consciousness and Cognition, Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, Neuroscience Bulletin, European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, Neuroscience Letters, Behavioral and Brain Functions, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, PlosOne, Mindfulness, Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Conference presentations (helped select which abstracts to accept) for the Investigating and Integrating Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society: Annual International Scientific Conference for Clinicians, Researchers and Educators, 2011 and 2012