Executive Director - Richard Dixey PhD

 ISEOM is led by Executive Director Dr Richard Dixey PhD, MSc. Formerly the Director of the Bioelectronic Research Unit, University of London and Chief Executive of Phytopharm plc, Dr. Dixey is currently Dean of Dharma College and Director of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International. He has a seventeen-year track record of support of monastic institutions through LBDFI and a further fourteen-year record of research into traditional healing systems. 

The scientific projects undertaken by ISEOM are directed by Dr. Soham Rej MD, MSc. Dr Rej is a Psychiatrist and Clinician-Scientist, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University and Associate Director of Psychosocial Research at the Jewish General Hospital/Lady Davis Institute, Montreal, Canada. He is also Honorary Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast. He has 170 peer-reviewed papers, and has obtained $3.2M in peer-reviewed research funding and $2.1M in charitable, corporate, and governmental funding as principal investigator. He has mentored more than 90 research trainees, including 29 who are currently assistant/associate professors. His primary area of research has been clinical trials of mind-body interventions in older adults with mental health issues (e.g. meditation, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, exercise). In the past 5 years, Dr. Rej has been increasingly involved in neuroscientific examinations of expert contemplative monastics/practitioners.

Dr S. Gabriela Torres Platas. holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from McGill University where she studied the implication of glial cells and their inflammatory contribution in depressed suicides. After her doctoral studies, she pursued clinical research training and Co-lead a laboratory at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal where she conducted several clinical trials to study the biological mechanisms of Mindfulness-based interventions when used as a treatment in psychiatric disorders. She is currently researching the emerging field of Contemplative Sleep Practices at Northwestern University to study the neural correlates and phenomenology of sleep & dream yoga.

Adriana Alcaraz Sánchez is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh. Her research, falling at the intersection between analytic philosophy, phenomenology, and cognitive science, concerns the study of altered states of consciousness. During her PhD (University of Glasgow) she investigated the nature of states of contentless awareness during sleep. 

Dr. Sanchez provides essential expertise in the phenomenology of extraordinary states of consciousness to the ISEOM team.

Clare McVeigh’s current research activities and interests are centred around palliative care, end of life care, and non-malignant life-limiting conditions. Her research is focused on improving the quality of life of people with non-malignant respiratory disease and their carers from diagnosis through to end of life. Dr. McVeigh is also involved in exploring palliative care interventions for American War Veterans who live in rural areas. She has experience of obtaining external research grants as a PI/Co-I from diverse sources including the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Burdett Trust for Nursing.

Dr. McVeigh provides key expertise in Co-Design to the ISEOM team.

Helen Noble’s current research activities and interests are centred around palliative care, end of life care, and chronic kidney disease. Her research is focused on improving the quality of life of people with end-stage kidney disease and their carers from diagnosis through to end of life. Dr. Noble has been involved in the development of nephrology supportive and palliative care services, the implementation of advance care planning, the identification of cachexia as patients deteriorate and interventions to improve quality of life including reflexology, mindfulness and art. She has a strong track record in securing multiple (>10) external research grants valuing as a PI/Co-I from diverse sources including the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Marie Curie. 

Dr. Noble brings a wealth of experience in Co-Design to the ISEOM team.

Sara G. Gloeckler is a PhD candidate (Dept. of Psychiatry, McGill University), researching music use and mindfulness practices during altered states of consciousness. Her work also involves qualitative analyses of patient choice, cultural identity, and treatment expectations of patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. She is a recipient of the McCall MacBain Scholarship – Finalist Award (2022) and McGill’s Graduate Excellence Fellowship (2023). Sara is a Stratas Scholar and is currently funded by the Lady Davis Institute/TD Canada Trust Graduate Scholarship Award.

Dr. Chien-Lin Mark Su is a statistician with a Ph.D. in Statistics, currently working as a Senior Statistician in the pharmaceutical industry where he serves as a lead statistician and supports protocol and statistical analysis plan development for clinical trial and real-world evidence studies across diverse therapeutic areas. With over 9 years of experience in biostatistics, clinical trials and observational studies, he specializes in advanced statistical methodologies such as time-to-event analysis, causal inference, Bayesian adaptive design, and mixed-effect models. His expertise extends to sample size and power calculations as well as comprehensive data analysis and visualization techniques for clinical trials and real-world evidence studies. Dr. Su has published extensively as the first and corresponding author in top peer-reviewed biostatistical and clinical journals, particularly in the fields of psychiatric disorders, neuroscience and oncology.

Ms. Sasi was the Lead Behavioral Interventionist and Clinical Social Worker (Mental Health) for the GeriPARTy Research Lab, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada. She led the development of the various behavioral interventions for our lab’s clinical trials since 2016: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Other forms of Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Health Education (HEP), Telehealth Friendly Phone Calls (TIP-OA) delivered by trained lay volunteers, and other projects. She also mentored numerous clinical trainees, research students, and volunteers in the lab.  She is moving to India with her husband Dr. Soham Rej, where she will primarily dedicate his life to meditation, prayer to God, and spiritual service.

Ms. Sasi plays a key role in ISEOM studies, interviewing contemplatives to better understand their subjective experiences.

Wangmo Dixey, born in Berkeley, California in 1969, is the eldest daughter of the respected Venerable Tarthang Tulku. A dedicated leader in the Buddhist community, Wangmo serves as the Director of the College and holds key roles, including Executive Director of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International and President of the International Buddhist Association of America.

With a BA in International Relations from UCLA and an MA in International Development from American University, Wangmo’s academic background is as impressive as her leadership. In 2023, she was honored with an honorary Ph.D. from Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University in Bangkok, recognizing her lifelong commitment to preserving the Buddha Sasana and her efforts to promote Buddhist teachings globally.

Among her many accomplishments, Wangmo made history by organizing the first-ever Vesak celebration at the White House, marking a significant moment for Buddhism in America. She is married to Dr. Richard Dixey, and together they have two children. Wangmo’s tireless work in bringing Buddhist communities together has earned her numerous international awards, reflecting her unwavering dedication to the Buddha Sasana and the welfare of all beings.

Ms. Dixey plays a critical role in ISEOM, creating links and fostering dialogue between contemplative communities and ISEOM scientists.