Pictured: William Mobley, MD, PhD, Lisa Eyler, PhD, Evonne Kaplan-Liss, MD, MPH, Val Lantz-Gefroh, MFA

FEATURE

Advances in brain imaging and the neurosciences allow previously unimaginable insights into the workings of the human mind, but not necessarily how to translate that knowledge into a benefit for patients or providers. This is the root of our work at the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion.

We invite you to join us Wednesday, July 23, 2025, for an expert panel hosted by The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare CEO, Michael Gustafson, MD, MBA, to hear how we are leveraging the neurobiology of empathy and compassion to create initiatives that are game-changing for medical education and patient care at UC San Diego School of Medicine and beyond. 

Webinar Details:

📅 When: Wednesday, July 23, from 12 - 1 p.m. PT
💻 Where: Via Zoom
➡️ How to Register: Click here to save your spot — for free!

SPOTLIGHT

The Sanford Institute's Director of Medical Integration, Jenna Tutjer, recently traveled to Taiwan as part of the 2025 Fulbright Taiwan Higher Education EMI Consortium Delegation to learn about English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), their education system, and the commitment of their Ministry of Education to social emotional learning.

Alongside colleagues from across the United States, the delegation visited an elementary school and four universities in Taiwan, engaging with faculty and leadership to gain a firsthand view of the full spectrum of their education system. Jenna describes Taiwan’s deep commitment to teaching, learning, and achieving its Bilingual 2030 goals as both inspiring and energizing. The experience was a powerful example of cross-cultural and multi-stakeholder collaboration, and the warmth and hospitality extended throughout will not soon be forgotten.

It is clear that empathy and compassion pervaded Jenna's week abroad, and all of us at the Sanford Institute look forward to continuing to support the work UC San Diego's incredible partners in Taiwan are doing!

PROGRAMS

The Compassion Ambassador Program (CAmP) offers MS1s at partner schools the chance to lead mentored projects focused on empathy and compassion. Today, we're proud to introduce our 2025–26 scholars from CUNY, UT Health San Antonio, University of South Dakota, and Case Western Reserve.

PUBLICATIONS

The Center for Empathy and Technology team — Deepa Manjanatha, MPH, Nicole Pippard, MPH, and Cinnamon Bloss, PhD — were recently published in PLOS for their novel research on self-compassion as a protective factor against adverse consequences of social media usage. 

CULTURE

This month, Sanford Institute Endowed Professor Eric Garland, PhD, filmed a sizzle reel on his groundbreaking Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE). In it, viewers get a chance to see how MORE reduces addiction and chronic pain, specifically through the eyes of international motorcycle racer Dan Kruger. Stay tuned for its official launch this summer!

EVENTS

Hosted by the Center for Compassionate Communication, the Compassionate Communication Virtual Workshop Series is a free, skills-based program, specially designed for health care professionals, medical educators, and researchers. Through interactive presentations, participants learn how to communicate with greater compassion—and, in turn, greater effectiveness—with patients, health care teams, medical trainees, and beyond.

Fall 2025 Lineup:

📅 September 16: Understanding the Value and Importance of Mediation Skills in Communication

📅 October 14: Media Interviewing with Former Vice President of CBS News, Marcy McGinnis

📅 November 6: How to Write Op-eds and Letters to the Editor

📅 December 4: Hearing Myself Think Poetry Workshop

NEWS

— The 3^rd Conference of the International Society for Contemplative Research will take place from November 3 – 6, 2025. Will we see you there?

— New on UCSD-TV: Mindfulness-Based Mental Training to Enhance Well-Being and Healthy Aging, featuring Sanford Institute Endowed Professor, Fadel Zeidan, PhD

— The Center for Compassionate Communication was published in Academic Medicine this month for the evaluation of its train-the-trainer model, revealing key outcomes and mechanisms for transformation.

— UC San Diego officially opened the new Viterbi Family Vision Research Center at Shiley Eye Institute, marking a significant milestone in the university's commitment to advancing ophthalmologic research and care.