Event Details
Bridging Science and Spirituality: Enhancing our Understanding of Consciousness, Cognition and Compassion
Balachundhar Subramaniam, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology, Harvard Medical School
Ellison C. “Jeep” Pierce Endowed Chair of Anesthesia
Director, Sadhguru Center for a Conscious Planet, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Senior Editor, Anesthesia Analgesia
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Time: 8:00 – 9:00 am ET
Online via Zoom
Cost: Free. CME credit available. Please email your name, degree title and institution if applicable to [email protected] during the event to claim credit.
Description:
The presentation will include an introduction to the Sadhguru Center, highlighting its mission and vision in bridging science and inner well-being and explore a synthesis of consciousness through both Eastern and Western lenses, drawn from meaningful educational dialogues between scientists and spiritual masters. The next segment will focus on neuroimaging research related to cognitive evolution, examining how brain function has transformed across time and states of awareness. The final portion will shift toward emerging research on yoga and meditation, with a specific emphasis on how these practices influence inflammation markers measured through blood-based biomarkers.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Bala completed his schooling in India and earned his medical degree from the prestigious JIPMER, Puducherry. He pursued advanced training in anesthesiology (MD) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and specialized in cardiac anesthesia at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. He also holds a Master’s in Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
He is a clinician-scientist funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). His research focuses on improving postoperative outcomes, particularly cognitive decline following surgery.
Inspired by his personal transformation through meditation, Dr. Bala broadened his scientific pursuits to include consciousness, cognition, and compassion. In 2020, he founded the Sadhguru Center for a Conscious Planet at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. At the heart of his work is a deeply personal philosophy: to cultivate “attention without intention”—a state of pure awareness that informs both his scientific inquiry and daily life.