January 21, 2025: CMC announces Landmark Study on Mindfulness Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Published in JAMA; Mindfulness-Based Therapy Reduces Opioid Craving by 67 Percent, Highlights National Trial. Read the study here.

Our research programs aim to investigate the impact of mindfulness and compassion based interventions on outcomes of health and well-being, the underlying neural mechanisms of self-regulation, and healthcare system transformation.

Active Studies

  • Be Well With Migraine: flyer coming soon

  • Psychological trauma among meditation teachers and therapists: Have you ever had difficult experiences during meditation? You might be eligible for a research study at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.  The title of the study is “Psychological trauma among meditation teachers and therapists”. The purpose of the study is to understand how psychological trauma influences meditation experiences, as well as coping strategies. In this online study, you will fill out a set of questionnaires that include prompts on psychological trauma or abuse during childhood or later in life, whether and  what kind of difficult experiences might have come up during your meditation, how you usually handle it, and how you teach your students or clients to cope with difficult experiences that might come up during meditation. Your participation will advance scientific understanding on the psychological mechanism of meditation. After you complete the set of questionnaires, you will receive a $10 e-gift card.  For any questions, please contact the trauma research team at trauma@cha.harvard.edu. If you are interested, please fill out the pre-screening form here: https://forms.gle/th1VnUVoUhvU9HyN9  and a research team member will contact you if you are determined as eligible to proceed with the study. [IRB number: CHA-IRB-25-26-440, Study Title: Psychological trauma among meditation teachers and therapists]

  • PARTS-DIGITAL:  Compassion arising from investigating suffering is not cultivated in isolation. Using machine learning and AI we will identify digital biomarkers of compassion in IFS groups, which use structured contemplative practice.  For more information on this project please see the description at the funders website: Varela Grants, Mind and Life Foundation.

  • PARTS-CPP: This study is investigating the feasibility of using Natural Language Processing and recurrent neural networks to identify potential mechanisms of change in Internal Family Systems. We are collaborating with the PARTS Clinical Service to receive referrals for this study.  The study is funded by the Livingston Fellowship Award, Harvard Medical School Fellowships.

  • Our Whole Lives (OWL): This randomized controlled trial examines Our Whole Lives (OWL), an integrative 9-week curriculum delivered through the GEMINI platform. The study explores whether OWL can effectively support individuals living with chronic pain through weekly live Zoom sessions, listening and video practices, community blogging, and weekly educational themes such as movement, sleep, and nutrition. Enrollment for this study closed in November 2025. We encourage you to revisit the CMC website for news on future research studies that may be a good fit for you.

  • RAVANS Study–Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Mindfulness for Healthier Alcohol Consumption Habits: Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading preventable cause of death in the United States and is associated with significant physical, emotional, and social harms. Participants in this study will receive guided mindfulness training sessions designed to enhance interoceptive awareness and inhibitory control, combined with either active or inactive noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation in the ear. Researchers will assess the acceptability of the combined intervention and examine its effects on heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and physiological reactivity to alcohol-related cues, which are known to trigger craving and relapse risk. By evaluating autonomic responses and alcohol cue reactivity, the study aims to better understand how mindfulness and vagal nerve stimulation may work together to improve autonomic regulation, reduce craving, and ultimately decrease problematic alcohol use among heavy drinkers.

Past Studies

  • Research Publications By Year

  • Mindful Behavior Change (MBC) research

  • Voices research

  • Migraine research: Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Stress Reduction for Migraines Study

  • Mindful-PC: Integrating Mindfulness into the Patient-Centered Medical Home

  • Mindful-OBOT: Effect of Mindfulness on Opioid Use and Anxiety During Primary Care Buprenorphine Treatment

  • PARTS: Program for Alleviating and Resolving Trauma and Stress (PARTS Pilot Study), Supporting mental health with Internal Family Systems

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Featured News: CMC was awarded a research grant titled “Neural and physiologic effects of self-compassion on chronic pain” from the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.  This grant provides seed funding for a pilot neuroimaging study examining self-compassion training for people experiencing chronic lower back pain.