Amishi Jha

Dr. Amishi Jha is a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami, where she has developed a career at the intersection of cognitive science and contemplative practice. Jha serves as director of contemplative neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded. Her research centers on the neural bases of attention and working memory, investigating how mindfulness training can enhance cognitive and emotional resilience, particularly under high-stress conditions in groups such as active-duty military personnel, first responders, educators, athletes, and students. Before joining the University of Miami, Jha was an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology.

Jha’s interest in mindfulness research was influenced by a personal experience with stress and burnout during her early academic career. This led her to investigate mindfulness meditation in the laboratory, at a time when the topic was not widely accepted in scientific circles. Her decision contributed to the development of a significant research program in cognitive neuroscience.

Jha published pioneering studies on how attention may be modified by mindfulness training and was the first to examine how mindfulness may protect against declines in working memory in high-stress groups, specifically military cohorts. She led the first study to provide mindfulness training tools to active-duty military service members preparing for deployment, finding that without intervention, soldiers’ attention and working memory are compromised and attentional lapses increase. Jha’s work employs functional magnetic resonance imaging, electrophysiological recordings, and behavioral assessments to explore these mechanisms, with applications for improving performance and well-being in demanding professional and educational settings. She has published extensively in journals such as Psychological Bulletin, American Psychologist, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, and PLOS ONE.

Jha is also active in public science communication. Her TEDx talk has received more than 5 million views. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum, the Aspen Institute, and the New York Academy of Sciences, and has presented her research to the Dalai Lama and the Mind and Life Institute. Her work has been featured at NATO, the UK Parliament, and the Pentagon. Jha has received coverage in The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes, and other major media outlets. She authored the cover story for Scientific American Mind on mindfulness and is a Mind and Life Institute Fellow.

Jha is the author of the national bestselling book "Peak Mind," published by HarperOne, which presents the science of attention to a broad audience. In the book, she guides readers through research on attention, challenges common assumptions, and offers practical exercises to improve focus and mental clarity. Jha has received several awards and honors, including the PopTech Science and Public Leadership Fellowship, the Ambassador of Mindfulness Award, and recognition as an Association for Psychological Science Fellow. Her work demonstrates the impact of rigorous neuroscience research on human well-being and mindfulness training.