Kathryn Devaney

Kathryn Devaney, also known as Kati, is a neuroscientist and dedicated meditation practitioner with over 20 years of experience in meditation.2 She is currently a researcher at the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.2

Education and Academic Background

Kathryn holds a Ph.D. in Brain, Behavior and Cognition from Boston University, where she was awarded the Dean's Fellowship.4 She also earned an M.Sc. in Brain Behavior and Cognition from Boston University and a B.Sc. in Neuroscience from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.1

During her academic career, Kathryn received several prestigious awards, including:

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2013)
• Clara Mayo Award from Boston University (2014)
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide Fellowship (2016)
• Harvard Brain Initiative Young Scientist Travel Award (2019)4

Research and Expertise

Kathryn's research focuses on the intersection of neuroscience and meditation. Her Ph.D. thesis examined attention and default mode network function in experienced meditators compared to matched controls.1 She has been designing and conducting fMRI experiments at 3T and 7T since 2005.1

Her areas of expertise include:

• Visual perception
• Visual attention
• fMRI
• Meditation3

Current Roles and Affiliations

Kathryn currently holds several positions:

1. Executive Director of The Berkeley Alembic Foundation
2. Science advisor at Jhourney.io
3. Researcher at the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics25

Publications and Academic Contributions

Kathryn has authored numerous academic publications, with her work cited over 900 times.3 Some of her notable publications include:

• "Cessations of consciousness in meditation: Advancing a scientific understanding of nirodha samāpatti" (2023)
• "Attention and default mode network assessments of meditation experience during active cognition and rest" (2021)
• "Identification of visual attentional regions of the Temporoparietal junction in individual subjects using a vivid, novel oddball paradigm" (2019)3

Personal Interests and Goals

Outside of her academic pursuits, Kathryn enjoys hiking in Vermont, pursuing the perfect cup of coffee, meditating with friends, trying new recipes, and seeing live music.1 She aims to leverage both her scientific training and meditation experience for the benefit of others.1

Kathryn is also actively involved in the meditation community. She co-founded the SF Dharma Collective and served as its board president.2 Additionally, she designed and taught a course called 'Meditation and the Brain' at Stanford University.2