Amishi Jha

Amishi Jha, PhD is Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. Prior to her current role, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. She earned her PhD in Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) from UC–Davis and completed postdoctoral training in brain imaging at Duke University. With support from the Department of Defense and private foundations, Dr. Jha investigates the neural mechanisms of attention and how attention can be protected and strengthened with mindfulness training. Her research focuses on high-stress, high-demand professionals—including military service members, first responders, medical and business professionals and leaders, and elite athletes—where cognitive resilience and peak performance are critical. She led the first-ever study to offer mindfulness training to active-duty U.S. military personnel preparing for deployment—showing that while attention is vulnerable under stress, it can be strengthened through mindfulness training. Her work has been featured by TED, NATO, the Pentagon, the World Economic Forum, The New York Times, TIME, NPR and more. She is the author of the national bestseller Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Atten