Chris Krägeloh, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology at the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Apart from his research interests in health outcome measurement and psychosocial factors related to robotics and artificial intelligence, much of his work explored empirical and conceptual topics in mindfulness. Chris is an author of more than 150 articles in international journals, lead author of a mindfulness research book (“Mindfulness-Based Intervention Research: Characteristics, Approaches, and Developments”), co-editor of two major reference works on assessment (“Handbook of Assessment in Mindfulness Research” and “International Handbook of Behavioral Health Assessment”), and co-editor and co-author of several other books on research methods and well-being. Chris is joint Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Mindfulness”, which is widely considered to be the flagship journal of mindfulness research. With his co-Editor-in-Chief, he has also launched new journal in 2024, with the title “Journal of Psychology and AI”.

Mindfulness Research: Reflections and Future Directions for Health and Wellbeing

This keynote presentation will provide an overview of the current state of mindfulness research, with a particular focus on its contributions to health and wellbeing. Speaking from the perspective of a practitioner, researcher, author, and co-Editor-in-Chief of the flagship journal "Mindfulness", the presenter will offer insights into the field's development and future directions. The talk will highlight the importance of continually conducting a stocktake of existing research, an increasingly challenging task given the accelerated growth of literature in recent years. The potential role of AI tools in synthesizing this vast body of knowledge will be discussed, alongside the critical need to maintain high research standards and adopt latest practices for open science. The presentation will not only address ongoing challenges related to research designs and statistical analyses, but also issues related to terminology and the importance of cross-cultural and cross-linguistic comparisons. Balancing the need for replications on one hand but requiring novel topics of investigation on the other, mindfulness research needs to demonstrate that contemplative practices can provide meaningful and effective contributions to wellbeing and health in our rapidly changing world. While current trends show no signs of the field's momentum abating, the presentation will encourage forward-thinking approaches to secure its future significance in the broader landscape of health and wellbeing research.