Faculty—Joan Borysenko, PhD
Joan was studying cancer cells at Tufts University when her father was diagnosed with cancer. Joan remembers being surrounded by her family as they sat in his hospital room, and thinking, “Here I am, a cancer cell biologist, the only one in the family who knows anything about this disease, and I know nothing about human beings with cancer.” She asked herself, “How do we tap into resources that help mind, body, and spiritual healing?” That question launched her exploration into mind-body medicine and positive psychology.
Today, Joan works in the field of addiction recovery, implementing everything she’s learned along the way about illness, biology, and contemplative practice. She is the president of Mind-Body Health Sciences, LLC, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a New York Times best-selling author of 16 books, including Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, from 1987, which sold more than 400,000 copies. Joan has also produced a series of audio programs for meditation and stress management. Her work has appeared in newspapers including the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, and she wrote and starred in the television special Inner Peace for Busy People, which was broadcast on PBS.