Professor Braver’s research is focused on understanding the psychological and neural mechanisms that contribute to our capacity for self-regulation and cognitive control. He is strongly interested in the role that mindfulness practices might play in enhancing self-regulation as well as the ability to engage with others in a pro-social and compassionate manner. The research is exploring how mindfulness training can increase not only basic cognitive functioning, but also psychological well-being, emotional regulation, and compassionate engagement with others. A new direction for the work will be to explore the role of mindfulness as a tool that enables individuals to work towards racial justice, through the development of attention control. In particular, is it the case that mindfulness skills – paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and sensations in an open and non-judgmental manner – can increase emotional resilience, enable us to become aware of implicit biases, and act in a less reactive manner when triggered?