Karen Dobkins, Ph.D.

Karen Dobkins, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at University of California, San Diego and the director of the Human Experience and Awareness Lab (HeaLab). Her research focuses on mindfulness, compassion, embodiment, and human connection, all with the goal of improving well-being in an era when depression and anxiety run rampant. She teaches a self-created course called “Learning Sustainable Well-Being” (at UC San Diego and around the world), because she believes students need an emotional, as well as an academic education.

Prof. Dobkins is a co-founder of Spacious Minds, which builds conscious daycares through interior design and caregiver well-being trainings.  She is a practitioner of yoga, a leader in IntenSati (which blends high intensity aerobics with call and response positive affirmations), as well as a mindfulness coach. She loves giving inspirational talks, including her TEDx “The Space between Kansas and Oz”, which is about loving “what is” while continuing to manifest your dreams.