Overview

Doug Oman, PhD, is a professor in the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, where he directs a training program on spirituality and public health and edited the book Why Religion and Spirituality Matter for Public Health: Evidence, Implications, and Resources (Springer International, 2018).

Since obtaining his doctorate from UC Berkeley (1998) and joining its faculty (2001), His nearly 100 professional publications have ranged from epidemiologic studies of longevity to theoretical papers on learning from spiritual exemplars, and contributions in religious studies. Oman has been principal investigator for two randomized controlled trials of nonsectarian and explicitly spiritual forms of meditation, which were found to foster significant and beneficial changes in stress, compassion, forgiveness, and related outcomes. He is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (Division 36 of the American Psychological Association) and recipient of the William C. Bier award for integrating the psychology of religion/spirituality with other disciplines. He coedited a 2018 special issue on spirituality for Psychological Studies (India), and has served as associate editor at Psychology of Religion and Spirituality and Mindfulness