James R. Doty
James R. Doty, M.D. is a Professor in the Neurosurgery Department at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Founder and Director of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research (CCARE) of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons. He served 9 years on active duty service in the U.S. Army.
Dr. Doty is an inventor and an entrepreneur, holding a number of patents on devices that are used on patients around the world. He maintains a broad neurosurgical interest and is one of the pioneers in the use of stereotactic radiosurgery utilizing the CyberKnife. He is an expert in the surgical treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the brain and spinal cord and has published extensively in the areas of spine and stereotactic radiosurgery.
For the last several years, his interest has focused on understanding the neural basis of compassion and altruism. He collaborates with a number of scientists in a variety of disciplines including neuroscience and psychology at Stanford and multiple universities throughout the world. He is the Senior Editor of the Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science.
As a philanthropist. Dr. Doty has supported health clinics throughout the world and groundbreaking neuroscience research. He has endowed chairs at multiple universities including Stanford and the chair for the Dean of Tulane Medical School, his alma mater.
He is the New York Times bestselling author of “Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart” which has now been translated into 36 languages.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe. Joy. Inspiration
3 things Nature taught you?
Love
Hope
The ability for renewal
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Redwood forests
San Juan Islands
Hawaii
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Infinite possibilities
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Weak
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hopeful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
How we must respect nature
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Scared
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10/10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I had just learned to swim and my parents took the family to a lake surrounded by redwoods. I remember my hesitancy stepping into the water, how cold it felt and then I started to swim and I swam across the lake. I never felt more powerful or alive then in that moment.
Hiroko Demichelis
HIROKO I. DEMICHELIS holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and one in an Applied Positive Psychology (University of East London, Uk). She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, she is certified in neurofeedback and in EMDR. She is trained in Mindfulness (Bangor University) and she is an advocate for modern meditation. She is the owner of the Vancouver Brain Lab, a clinical practice dedicated to support individuals to heal, flourish and reach their potential. Also, She is the co-founder of Moment Meditation, a project based on science based meditation. She is the proud mom of Blanca, she loves good Italian fashion, design and gelato.
3 words to describe Nature?
Pristine, astonishing, restorative.
3 things Nature taught you?
You cannot stop the wind with your hands, everything shifts and nothing stays the same. When in the quicksand, stop fighting and try to float
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Third Beach. Whyteclyff park (the little island you can only reach w low tide), a secret little fall on the way to Whistler
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
The sound of the waves calms whatever storm is happening in my brain. I swim in the ocean all year long. I go and I scream out loud (it is soo cold so to distract myself I scream: "it's tropical!!!" ). It feels like a hug!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Forests feels like a crowd of friends!
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Volcano! I have only seen Mount Etna in Sicily from afar. It made me feel like I should always be humble!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
A wonderful holiday in the BVI. Romantic. ;-)
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Childhood in Venice, where everything shakes!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Safe if I am cosy at home.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean, big time.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9. A lot.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My childhood was spent in Venice, Italy. We have a very special type of nature is Venice as it is surrounded by a lagoon. One of my best memories is being on my dad's rowing boat, in the lagoon, my mom and dad chatting, playing guitar, drinking wine with friends, and us children watching the stars.