14/12/2025
Do you believe that Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness are dated mumbo jumbo, hippy, spiritual practices? Here's a list of some of the remarkable modern Western Scientists that are proving that these practices can transform a person's health and wellbeing.
SCIENCE IS CATCHING UP AND WE LOVE IT!!!
Leading Researchers and Institutions
Several Western scientists and institutions are at the forefront of contemporary yoga research:
Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, PhD (Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital): Studies the clinical uses of yoga for insomnia, stress, anxiety disorders, and mental health in schools and workplaces.
Dr. Steffany Moonaz, PhD (Southern California University of Health Sciences): A research scientist and yoga therapist who developed and evaluated a yoga program for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Dr. Holger Cramer (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany): A prominent figure in yoga research, known for numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses on yoga for conditions like low back pain and depression.
Dr. Neha P. Gothe, PhD (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign): Led a systematic review on yoga's effects on brain health and cognition.
Dr. Bala Subramaniam (Harvard professor and NIH-funded researcher): Explores how brain imaging and cognitive science link contemplative practices to measurable biological shifts, such as changes in inflammation markers.
Ina Stephens, MD: A Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist and Co-director of Medical Yoga at the University of Virginia Medical School, she studies yoga-based interventions for conditions like anxiety, chronic pain, and ADHD, focusing on how yoga modulates the autonomic nervous system.
Willoughby Britton, PhD: As director of Brown University's Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Britton researches mindfulness-based interventions for mood and anxiety disorders, emphasizing the importance of matching specific practices to specific conditions.
Neha P. Gothe, PhD: Associated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, her work includes systematic reviews on the effects of yoga on brain health.
The University of Rochester Medical Centre is involved in recent clinical trials, including one on reducing inflammation in cancer survivors.
These researchers are helping to build an "evidence build to a critical mass" where yoga-based interventions are increasingly integrated into mainstream healthcare.