Panel Speaker Bios:

Rael Cahn

Dr. Rael Cahn, MD, PhD, is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist with the University of Southern California Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Cahn works clinically in the Psychiatric Emergency Room at the busy LA County-USC Hospital and does research on mindfulness and other meditative practices in association with the USC Brain and Creativity Institute.   He has researched the neurophysiological changes related to engaging in meditation and mindfulness practies for the past twenty years with a primary focus on EEG and ERP outcomes.  He is currently working on studies assessing the neural correlates to narrative free awareness, the neural mechanisms underlying the efficacy of mindfulness practices for mood disorders and addiction, as well as the impact of psychedelic-assisted therapy for PTSD.   

Antonino Raffone

Antonino Raffone completed a Master in “Psychology” and a Doctorate in “Cognitive Psychology and Science” at Sapienza University of Rome. He is currently Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology of Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), and Visiting Professor and Advisory Faculty at Nalanda University (India). He is also Director of the Interuniversity Center ECONA at Sapienza University of Rome,  President of “Consciousness, Mindfulness, Compassion – CMC – International Association”, and Chief Editor of the Specialty Section on “Consciousness Research” of “Frontiers in Psychology”. His internationally recognized research is interdisciplinary, with a particular focus on cognitive neuroscience of consciousness and meditation. Finally, he is a dedicated Soto Zen practitioner. ​