The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education

Stanford School of Medicine
The Center for Compassion And Altruism Research And Education

CCARE People

Tristan Brennan

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The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education > CCARE People

Tristan Brennan is a Research Assistant at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University. He brings intellectual curiosity, disciplined execution, and a deep interest in how rigorous science can support human flourishing in practical and deeply human ways to CCARE’s research initiatives.

Tristan is a Marine Corps veteran and undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies Data Analytics and Social Sciences. His path into research has been intentionally interdisciplinary. He currently coordinates data and study operations at Stanford’s Precision Neurotherapeutics Lab and at the National Center for PTSD at the VA Palo Alto, where his work spans EEG-guided neuromodulation, neuroimaging, and federal data archive pipelines. His earlier work in computational topology, single-cell genomics, and volunteering in Stanford’s Adult Emergency Department reflects a broader belief that some of the most meaningful science happens at the intersections between disciplines, methods, and the communities research is meant to serve.

Tristan’s role is supported by the Project Compassion Fund and the Claire Roscow Fellowship. The fellowship honors Claire Roscow, a Stanford student and early CCARE volunteer whose curiosity, service, and belief in the power of compassion science left a lasting mark on this community. Read more about Claire here.

Tristan’s arrival strengthens our capacity to advance the evidence base for compassion-centered programs and opens new possibilities for research collaboration.

Kyla O’Neill

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The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education > CCARE People

Kyla O’Neill is the Program and Research Manager at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University. Driven by a deep commitment to mission-centered work that fosters learning, human connection, and well-being, Kyla brings expertise in program development, digital marketing, and operational systems to help CCARE’s programs reach the people seeking them.

In her role at CCARE, Kyla manages the day-to-day operations of CCARE’s educational programs — overseeing participant experience, marketing and enrollment, event coordination, and data reporting. She also collaborates with the team on strategic initiatives to help grow and sustain the center’s mission.

Kyla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Gender Studies from the College of the Holy Cross and an Elementary Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. Her background spans a decade as an elementary educator, another decade running a small business, and most recently leading program operations for an online career school, enabling thousands of adult learners to successfully embark on a new career. Her varied experience brings a diverse perspective to her work at CCARE.

Kyla’s personal and professional values are closely aligned with CCARE’s mission, and she is committed to building the systems and experiences that help compassion-centered programs flourish and grow.

Jennifer Nadel

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Jennifer Nadel is a pioneer in the emerging field of compassionate politics, working to bring the science and practice of compassion into the political arena. She speaks globally about the transformative power of compassion and provides training to those working in the political arena including at the UN and the UK Houses of Parliament.

She founded the think tank, Compassion in Politics, together with Matt Hawkins in 2018. It works on a cross-party basis with 100+ politicians in the UK to improve political processes and outcomes and their advice is sought internationally. Their original research is cited in parliament, influences policy, and has led to new legislation being debated. In 2022 she helped establish the Global Compassion Coalition which now has a global reach of millions.

Jennifer advises and trains grassroots and national campaigns, has run for the UK Parliament, and served on the National Executive Committee of the Green Party. In 2018 she stepped away from party politics to focus on building common ground.

Her Sunday Times Bestseller, WE: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere, co-authored with Gillian Anderson, is a guide to inner and outer change and a rallying cry to move to a less me-centric society. It was featured on shows including CBS This Morning, The View, Dr Oz, the BBC and ITV. Jennifer continues to provide training based on it.

Her most recent book, How Compassion can Transform our Politics, Economy and Society, co-edited with Matt Hawkins, has been hailed as a guide to creating a more compassionate world.

Jennifer is a qualified barrister and award-winning journalist who has broadcast for the BBC. and ITV, from around the world. A regular media commentator, Jennifer speaks internationally at organisations including: Google, Apple, Bloomberg, AOL Build, JP Morgan, the Oxford Union, and at leading universities. American born, she’s currently based in London.

Monica Worline, PhD

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The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education > CCARE People

Monica Worline, PhD is an organizational psychologist and founder and CEO of EnlivenWork, an innovation organization that teaches businesses and others how to tap into courageous thinking, compassionate leadership, and the curiosity to bring their best work to life. Monica is an award-winning teacher and an interdisciplinary scholar who has served on the faculty of Goizueta Business School at Emory University and on the faculties of the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California Irvine and the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology.

Monica’s writing has been featured in publications such as Harvard Business Review, Chicago Tribune, and BizEd Magazine and her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly and Organization Science. She authored the book Awakening Compassion at Work and is a founding member of the CompassionLab, the world’s leading research collaboratory focused on compassion at work.

Monica completed her doctoral work in organizational psychology at the University of Michigan and is a member of the Positive Organizational Scholarship community housed in the Ross School of Business. She earned her BA with distinction and honors at Stanford University, where her emphasis on humanities continues to provide a strong foundation for her unique blend of critical thinking and creativity.

Emma Seppala, PhD

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The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education > CCARE People

Emma Seppala, PhD is Science Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University. Her areas of research include positive organizational psychology, health psychology, and cultural psychology. In particular her research has focused on well-being, compassion, social connection and mind-body practices.

She is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today, The Huffington Post, and Scientific American Mind. She also consults with Fortune 500 leaders and employees on building a positive organization and is the author of an upcoming book on the science of success, The Happiness Track, published by HarperOne (January 2016). She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Fulfillment Daily, a news site dedicated to the science of happiness.

Dr. Seppala’s research has been cited in numerous television and news outlets including ABC News and The New York Times  and she is quoted in books such as Congressman Tim Ryan’s Mindful Nation . Her research on mind-body practices for military veterans with trauma was highlighted in a documentary called Free the Mind by award-winning filmmaker Phie Ambo. She is the recipient of a number of research grants and service awards including the James W. Lyons Award from Stanford University, where she helped found Stanford’s first academic class on the psychology of happiness and taught many well-being programs for Stanford students.

Dr. Seppala received a BA in Comparative Literature from Yale University, a Master’s Degree in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University, and a PhD in Psychology from Stanford University. She completed her postdoctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with Dr. Richard Davidson. Originally from Paris, France, she speaks five languages: French, English, German, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Outside of her experiences in the US, she has worked in France and China.

For more, see her website.

Roozbeh Aliabadi, PhD

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Dr. Roozbeh Aliabadi, PhD,  is an entrepreneur, a global thought leader in AI education, an author, and an advocate for ensuring artificial intelligence serves humanity with ethics, empathy, and compassion.

Dr. Aliabadi is the co-founder and CEO of ReadyAI.org, an organization dedicated to bringing AI education to students in over 150 countries. He is also the co-founder of the World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY), a global initiative that empowers young minds to solve real-world challenges through AI, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and ethical leadership.

As an author, Dr. Aliabadi has written extensively on AI’s role in education, including books for educators, parents, and children. His latest work, “Intro to AI for Parents (Pocketbook): A Guide to Sparking Fun and Meaningful Conversations with Your Kids about Artificial Intelligence,” helps families engage in meaningful discussions about AI and its impact. His insights on AI and global affairs have been featured in BBC, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, NIKKEI Asian Review, and USA Today.

Dr. Aliabadi has delivered keynote addresses at major global conferences, including Web Summit, AI Global Summit, Global Silicon Valley Forum, and the Aspen Forum. His talks explore AI ethics, education, and the future of compassionate AI, bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and human-centered values.

His research focuses on the intersection of AI, education, and human-centered technology, particularly emphasizing how AI can enhance social-emotional learning, foster inclusivity in education, and support global digital equity.

Dr. Aliabadi earned a Ph.D. from Robert Morris University, focusing on AI interventions in education, a Master’s degree in International Political Economy, and a Bachelor’s in Finance and Economics from the University of Pittsburgh. With eight years of service in the U.S. Army Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), he brings a global perspective to the ethical considerations of AI. His expertise in human psychology, education, and geopolitics makes him a leading advocate for AI that empowers and uplifts humanity.

Alexandra Albinus

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Alexandra Albinus began her collaboration with James Ehrlich (Director of Compassionate Sustainability at CCARE) in 2021 to establish a series of workshop programs and courses on Design Empathy, specific to themes on regeneration, climate resiliency, and adaptability. Alex creatively shapes custom programs for K12 youth, support for undergraduates and master’s students, executive education for professional growth, and helping to define the Design Empathy Instructor certification program.

Alex is a trained architect originally from Germany who studied at the University of Applied Science Munich Architecture Department, and then continued her architectural and design studies in Spain at the University of the Bask Country in San Sebastian. Alex then returned to Germany to complete her architectural degree, graduating with a Dipl.-Ing Architecture, and continued in design thinking training to further her teaching skills.

Alex has worked with professional architectural and design firms to train internal teams on creative collaboration, applying her growing knowledge in climate resiliency and environmental design areas. She moved to Silicon Valley in support of her husband’s post-doc at the Stanford Center for Design Research, while continuing to build her professional design and teaching skills.

James Ehrlich

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James Ehrlich is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University School of Medicine. Additionally, James is appointed Faculty at Singularity University, Senior Fellow at NASA Ames Research Center, and a White House / OSTP Appointee to a joint taskforce on Regenerative Infrastructure.

Mr. Ehrlich is also the Founder of ReGen Villages Holding, B.V., a Stanford University spin-off formed in the EU as a Dutch impact-for-profit company, using machine learning software to address the U.N. 17 Sustainable Development Goals, specifically to provide solutions for affordable housing, climate change adaptability, and regenerative resiliency.

Mr. Ehrlich founded ReGen Villages in 2016, with its patent-pending VillageOS™ operating system software to design and operate bio-regenerative and resilient (self-reliant) neighborhood infrastructure and retrofits, integrating clean water, renewable energy  micro-grids, high-yield organic food, and circular nutritional flows at the neighborhood scale, to promote healthy long-term outcomes for residents and flourishing communities.

A serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley for over 25-years, James successfully founded and managed technology and media companies with successful exits. For nearly a decade, Mr. Ehrlich executive produced an award-winning national public broadcasting series based on his case study research of organic and bio-dynamic family farms, that at its apex reached over 35-million homes each week and is also the co-author of a best-selling companion book on Hachette, Organic Living THG (2007).

James holds a Bachelor of Science from New York University and Master studies in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. He has won several awards for sustainable design and is a researcher and global lecturer on the topic of regenerative neighborhood development. He has co-authored two (2) U.N. Sustainable Development Goal Platform Briefs (2015/2018) with Prof. Larry Leifer and Chris Ford (AIA) from the Center for Design Research at Stanford University.

Daniel Martin, PhD

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The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education > CCARE People

Dr. Daniel E. Martin is an Associate Professor of Management at California State University, East Bay, and Director of Corporate Compassion Education at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University. Formerly a Visiting Associate Professor at CCARE, a Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Study of Law & Society at UC Berkeley, Director of Research at the Charter for Compassion a Research Fellow for the U.S. Army Research Institute as well as a Personnel Research Psychologist for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, he has worked with private, public and non-profit organizations on pre-employment selection, training, and organizational assessment. He has held international appointments at Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Mexico and The D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio De Janiero, Brazil.

Dan holds a Ph.D. in Social and Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Howard University, Washington, D.C., and a BS in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State, California.

Dan’s research interests include: compassion, social capital, ethical behavior, racism and prejudice, human resources assessment, religiosity, spirituality and humor. Dan has held TEDxHayward at CSUEB highlighting quantitative efforts in Peace Innovation twice.

Dan is published in a range of journals including Journal of Business Ethics, Personnel Review, Human Organization, Ethics and Behavior, and the Journal of Applied Psychology. His current research streams investigate the impact of individual differences and ideology on social corporate responsibility and human resources decision making. Other streams involve the impact of ideology on compassion and psychological well-being. His current applied work on the use of untapped social capital to ameliorate social problems serve as a research, skills development and assessment platform. Dan is also the founder and CEO of Arete Science, LLC, which scales interventions and measurable impact in competence and well-being across a wide array of social and individual needs (Business, Leadership, Psychedelics, SUD and more).

Robert Cusick

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Robert Cusick is the Director of Compassion Education at CCARE Stanford University and a Co-Founder of the Applied Compassion Training (ACT) that was formerly offered at CCARE Stanford from 2020-2023. He is a Stanford Lecturer and Sr. Certified CCARE instructor and teaches at Stanford University, UCSF, Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers, and in multiple other venues.

As a long-time meditator and former monastic, Robert ordained in Myanmar (Burma) under the renowned meditation master, Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, and studied with him from 2003 – 2012. He has studied in numerous contemplative traditions including Soto Zen while in residence at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, in the Ridhwan School’s Diamond approach with A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), and for 27 years in the Insight Meditation tradition with Gil Fronsdal, PhD and a host of others. He provides grief counseling and bereavement support for adults and children at Kara in Palo Alto, where he co-leads men’s grief groups and facilitates retreats for fathers grieving the death of a child.

Robert sits on the Board of Directors of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies.

Neelama Eyres

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Neelama Eyres is the Director of Program Development at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University. She is the Co-Founder of the Applied Compassion Training (ACT) that was formerly offered at CCARE Stanford from 2020-2023.

For the past 25 years, Neelama has developed and facilitated experiential programs for individuals, groups, and leaders worldwide. She’s trained participants to enact and apply compassion within their organizations, institutions, and communities around the globe. She is the co-author of a personal memoir which details her journey through a Compassionate Divorce.

Throughout her career, Neelama has provided training, consulting, and executive coaching for organizations including Google, Slack, MetLife, the Alzheimer’s Association, and many more. In addition, she has trained and developed facilitators within corporations, non-profits, and healthcare organizations.

She is also Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator for The Inner Journey Institute, an educational organization that has offered transformational programs across the United States, Canada, and Europe since 1999. For IJI, she has designed and facilitated highly immersive workshops and facilitator trainings geared towards helping participants embody higher levels of compassion, mindfulness, forgiveness, and personal transformation for themselves, their organizations, and their communities.

Neelama’s mastery is creating interactive, immersive, and experiential learning environments that allow participants to have a direct and embodied experience of spirituality and compassion. Neelama’s contemplative practice combined with her extensive travels throughout Southeast Asia and India have given her an extraordinary depth of spiritual experience and knowledge of Eastern traditions which, like her studies of Western spirituality, is reflected in all her work.

To learn more about Neelama visit her website.

Stephanie Balters, PhD

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Stephanie Balters, PhD is a neuroscientist, educator, and innovator pioneering the neuroscience of collective thriving. Her work demonstrates how deep connection, trust, and shared purpose can drive measurable gains in team performance and wellbeing.

As the Director of Research at CCARE and Director of the Empowerment Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, she uses portable dual-brain neuroimaging to advance understanding of the neurobiology of real-world human interaction. Her research identifies the neural mechanisms through which compassion, trust, and collaboration emerge—demonstrating that collective thriving is not just an ideal to aspire to, but a high-return investment in human potential.

Dr. Balters develops and rigorously tests neuroscience-informed interventions that translate empirical insight into organizational outcomes. Through living laboratories across Stanford Medicine, the Graduate School of Business, and Stanford Athletics, she applies her findings to cultivate compassion, connection, and collective excellence.

With background training in mechanical engineering, computer science, human-centered design, and clinical neuroimaging, she spans disciplines to build tools, teams, and cultures where compassion functions as a scalable driver of excellence. Her mission is to unite scientists, educators, clinicians, and organizational leaders across institutions to launch a global hub advancing the science and implementation of compassion—turning scientific insight into real-world impact for a more connected, thriving society.

For collaborations or questions, please contact balters@stanford.edu.

Al’ai Alvarez, MD

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Al’ai Alvarez, MD (@alvarezzzy) is a national leader and educator on wellness, diversity, equity, and Inclusion. He is a member of the inaugural cohort of ambassadors for CCARE’s Applied Compassion Training and has successfully completed various other programs, including Compassion Cultivation Training and Awakening Humanity at Work.

• Clinical Professor, Stanford Emergency Medicine (EM)
• Director of Well-Being, Stanford EM
• Co-lead, the Human Potential Team, Stanford EM
• Fellowship Director, Physician Wellness Fellowship, Stanford EM
• Chair, Physician Wellness Forum, Stanford WellMD/WellPhD
• Director, Physician Resource Network (PRN) Support Program, Stanford WellMD/WellPhD [Stanford’s peer-to-peer support for faculty and trainees]

His work focuses on humanizing physician roles as individuals and teams by harnessing the individual human potential in the context of high-performance teams. This includes optimizing the interconnectedness between Process Improvement (Quality and Clinical Operations), Recruitment (Diversity), and Well-being (Inclusion). He is one of the 2021-2022 Faculty Fellows at the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign.

Dr. Alvarez was the assistant/associate residency program director (APD) at the Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency Program [2016-2021], focusing on the intersectionality of residency well-being with performance improvement on patient experience, quality and patient safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, and medical education. Dr. Alvarez co-founded and co-chaired the largest diversity mentoring initiative in Emergency Medicine through ACEP and EMRA.

Dr. Alvarez gives several grand rounds and national/international conference lectures and workshops on relevant topics in self-compassion, physician well-being, and high-performance teams, including increasing leadership capacity and mentorship to enhance diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Alvarez received the 2019 ACEP DIHE Distance and Impact Award, the 2020 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM) Outstanding Academician Award, the 2020 CORD Academy for Scholarship in Education in EM Academy Member Award on Teaching and Evaluation, the 2022 John Levin Leadership Award at Stanford Health Care, and the 2024 Physician Leader of the Year of the Sharp Index Awards.

James R. Doty, MD

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James R. Doty, MD was the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford, of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. Dr. Doty was a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist who was on the faculty of the Stanford University School of Medicine in the Neurosurgery Department. Most recently, his academic focus was on meditation, compassion, and self-compassion for which he lectured throughout the world.

Dr. Doty attended U.C. Irvine as an undergraduate, received his medical degree from Tulane University and completed neurosurgery residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Doty served 9 years on active duty in the U.S Army attaining the rank of major. He completed fellowships in pediatric neurosurgery and electroneurophysiology.

He was an inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He held multiple patents and was the former CEO of Accuray (ARAY:NASDAQ). Dr. Doty provided support to a number of charitable organizations supporting peace initiatives and providing healthcare throughout the world. Additionally, he supported research, provided scholarships, and endowed chairs at multiple universities.

Dr. Doty was a consultant to medical device companies and was an operating partner and advisor to venture capital firms. He served on the Board of a number of non-profits and was the vice-chair of the Charter for Compassion International and the former chair of the Dalai Lama Foundation. He was on the Senior Advisory Board of the Council for the Parliament of the World’s Religions and served on the Board of Governors of Tulane University School of Medicine and the President’s Council at Tulane University.

James R. Doty, MD was the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discovery the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart now translated into 40 languages. Dr. Doty was also the senior editor of the Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science. His final book, Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything was published by Penguin Random House in May of 2024.

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