Wellness is something we can develop. These slides include references of papers and books with strategies to develop a healthy mind extracted from the latests discoveries in neuroscience research. www.jorgeserrano.com

1. Wellness is a skill
Jorge Serrano, PhD, CPCC
How to use our mind to develop it?
Yachay Tech University, July 27th 2017

2. 15 years ago…
Stuttgart, Germany
2002
The power of questions

3. Mind effects in Health
B.H. Lipton, “The Biology of Belief: unleashing the power of consciousness, matter, and miracles” (2005)
Jim Foley, (2013),
Psychological disorders -
SLIDESHARE

4. Social & Emotional Learning
• Effectiveness and
Engagement in
Engineering careers
• Influence in Leadership
and Organizational
Effectiveness
Richard Boyatzis, Kylie Rochford, Kevin V. Cavanagh, (2017)
"Emotional intelligence competencies in engineer’s effectiveness and engagement",
Career Development International, 22 (1), 70-86.
Daniel Goleman & Richard E. Boyatzis, (2008)
“Social Intelligence and the Biology of
Leadership",
Harvard Business Review, September Issue.

5. Teachings from Affective
Neuroscience: Emotional style
Resilience
Sensitivity
to context
Self-awareness
Outlook
Social
Intuition
Attention
EMOTIONAL
STYLE
Prof. Richard
Davidson

6. Resilience
Sensitivity
to context
Self-awareness
Outlook
Social
Intuition
Attentio
n
ESTILO
EMOCIONAL
Prof. Richard
Davidson
“All dimensions of emotional style can be develop with
mental training”
R.J. Davidson and S. Begley (2012)
“The emotional life of your brain: how to change the way you think, feel and live”,
Ed. Hodder & Stoughton
Teachings from Affective
Neuroscience: Emotional style

7. How can we develop these
dimensions?
Experiences
Mindfulness
practice
Coaching
Leadership
training

8. Leadership Practice:
Voice Mirror

9. 4 Keys to Wellness
1. Resilience: capacity to overcome the adversities in
life

10. 4 Keys to Wellness
2. Positive Outlook
Richard J. Davidson & Brianna S. Schuyler, (2015)
“Neuroscience of Happiness",
World Happiness Report, p. 88 - 105.
Ventral Striatum

11. 4 Keys to Wellness
3. Pro-social behaviour & Generosity
Anterior Insula (AI):
feeling of bodily sensations
Richard J. Davidson & Brianna S. Schuyler, (2015)
“Neuroscience of Happiness",
World Happiness Report, p. 88 - 105.
C. Lamm, J. Decety, & T. Singer (2011), “Meta-analytic
evidence for common and distinct neural networks
associated with directly experienced pain and empathy for
pain”, NeuroImage 54 (3), 2492.

12. 4 Keys to Wellness
4. Mindfulness & Emotionally focussed attention
Richard J. Davidson & Brianna S. Schuyler, (2015), “Neuroscience of Happiness",
World Happiness Report, p. 88 - 105.
2000 participants
mean age = 34
47% Mind wandering time
More unhappiness than when
attention is focussed
M.A. Killingsworth and D.T. Gilbert, (2010) “A wandering mind is an unhappy mind”, Science 330, 932.

13. Mindfulness

14. Neuroplasticity
R.J. Davidson & B.S. McEwen, (2012)“Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being”.
Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689–95
P.S. Eriksson, et al., (1998) “Neurogenesis in adult human hippocampus”, Nature Medicine, 4, 1313
Infography source: National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, by Dr. Ruth Buckzynski
pid changes in histone deacetylases and inflammatory gene expression in expert meditators”, Psychoendocrin

15. Center for Healthy Minds

16. Center for Healthy Minds

17. Magnetic Resonance
Imaging
1. High B (1.5 - 7T)
2. Based on NMR
3. Gives information
on
A. Structure
B. Function
C. Diffusion

18. Initiative:
Center of Neuroscience for Life
Mission
Unveil, design, and cultivate Life-affirming & Wellness
practices towards a betterment of human life at all stages
Vision
A conscious, wise, peace-full and wellness-full world

19. Center of Neuroscience for Life
• Provide 1st dedicated research facility in Applied
Cognitive, Affective, and Social Neuroscience in
Ecuador
• Ascertain the neural mechanisms and pathways that are
responsible for effective learning and wellbeing
• Develop practices aiming at increasing effectiveness &
wellbeing, both in Education and at Work
• Provide public MRI clinical diagnosis services to Zone 1
and 2 of Ecuador (in collaboration with IESS)

20. Center of Neuroscience for Life:
Equipment
3 T MRI system + accessories
for brain research and fMRI analysis
Physiological ancillary
equipment:
IR eye-tracking system
Electrodermal activity system
Electro-encephalography system
Fast heat-flow system

21. Center of Neuroscience for Life
Seed Team
MRI Physicist - PhD
Bio-statistician - PhD
Computer scientist - PhD
Neuroradiologist - PhD
Programmer - M.Sc.
Director
Assistant
5 Research fellowsBudget: 3M USD
Operation costs: 700 kUSD
Cashflow: +70 kUSD

22. Center of Neuroscience for Life
Opportunities
Training facility: Physics, Biomedical Eng., Medicine, Psychology
Neuroscience research
Entrepreneurship: apps, trainings, instrumentation
Medical service: MRI diagnosis
Development of Generosity, Wellbeing, & Innovation in Education
Budget: 3M USD
Operation costs: 800 kUSD
Cashflow: +60 kUSD

23. Acknowledgements
Lois DePiesse
Isa Dolski
Dan Grupe
Robin Goldman
Susan Jensen
Jane SachsSarah J. Short
Melissa Rosenkrantz
Christy Wilson-Mendelhall
Marianne Spoon
Jeanette Mumford
Elizabeth Morris
Stephani Pescitelli

24. Acknowledgments
Prof. Richard J. Davidson