JOHN TEASDALE received his first degree in psychology from the University of Cambridge. Subsequently, he studied for his Ph.D. in abnormal psychology, and trained as a clinical psychologist, at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, where he then taught for a number of years. After working as a National Health Service clinical psychologist in the University Hospital of Wales, he began a thirty year period of full- time research, supported by the Medical Research Council, first in the Department of Psychiatry, Univeristy of Oxford, subsequently in the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge.
The continuing focus of this research has been the investigation of basic psychological processes and the application of that understanding to the relief of emotional disorders. Initially this involved the development and evaluation of behavioral therapies for anxiety disorders, subsequently the exploration of cognitive approaches to understanding and treating major depression, and, most recently, the development of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, a program that is effective in substantially reducing future risk of major depression through an integration of mindfulness training and cognitive approaches.
Dr. Teasdale has published more than a hundred scientific papers and chapters, and co-authored three books. He has received a Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association, and has been elected Fellow of both the British Academy and the Academy of Medical Sciences. He is currently retired, pursuing personal interests in meditation and mindfulness training.
