Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education
Stanford University
Defining Compassion, Empathy and Altruism Scientific, Economic, Philosophical and Contemplative Perspectives
March 3 – March 5, 2009
Tuesday, March 3:
3:00 – 6:00pm Cabana Hotel Speakers and Honored Guests Check-in
6:15pm Speakers and Honored Guests meet in Cabana Hotel Lobby
Hotel Shuttle Departs to Pampas Restaurant for dinner
6:30pm Conference Participants’ Dinner – Pampas Restaurant
529 Alma Street, Palo Alto
8:30pm Hotel Shuttle returns guests to Cabana Hotel
Wednesday, March 4:
7:30 am Guests Meet in Lobby, Hotel Shuttle Departs.
8:00 – 8:30 am Check-in/Working Breakfast, Bechtel Conference Center
Encina Hall 616 Serra Street
8:40am – 8:50am Introduction: Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D., Stanford University
8:50 – 10:50am Session One - Empathy, Compassion and Altruism in Psychology
Moderator: Jeanne Tsai, Ph.D, Psychology, Stanford University
Paul Ekman, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus, Psychology, UC San Francisco
Tracy Spinrad, Ph.D, Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe
Discussant: Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D, Biological Sciences and Neurology, Stanford University
10:50 – 11:00am Coffee Break
11:00– 1:00pm Session Two The Contemplative Perspective
Moderator: Bill Mobley, M.D., Ph.D., Neurology, Stanford University
Wendy Farley, Ph.D., Religious Studies, Emory University
Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D., Stanford University/McGill University
John Dunne, Ph.D., Religious Studies, Emory University
Discussant: Scotty McLennan Ph.D., Dean of Religious Life, Stanford University
1:00 – 1:30pm Working Lunch/ Break
1:30 – 3:30pm Session Three - Compassion Research in Neuroscience
Moderator: Brian Knutson, Ph.D., Psychology, Stanford University
Richard Davidson, Ph.D., Psychology, University of Wisconsin
Tania Singer, Ph.D., Neuroscience, Zurich University
Discussants: Bill Mobley, M.D., Ph.D., Neurology, Stanford University
3:30-3:45 Coffee Break
3:45 – 5:45pm Session Four Perspectives from Evolution and Philosophy
Moderator: Phillipe Goldin, Ph.D., Psychology, Stanford University
Felix Warneken, Ph.D., Psychology, Max Planck Institute
Owen Flanagan, Ph.D., Philosophy, Duke University
Discussant: Bill Newsome, Ph.D, Neurobiology, Stanford University
5:45pm Day One concludes
6:00pm Shuttle Service Returns Guests to Hotel
6:45pm Guests Meet in Lobby, Walk Across the Street for Dinner
7:00pm Participants and Honored Guests’ Dinner, Trader Vic’s, Dinah’s Garden Hotel, 4261 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
Thursday, March 5:
7:30 am Guests Meet in Lobby, Hotel Shuttle Departs.
8:00 – 8:30 am Working Breakfast, Vidalakis Room,
Schwab Residential Center, 680 Serra Street
8:30 – 10:30am Session Five - Altruistic Behaviour Research and Neuroeconomics
Moderator: Gary Steinberg, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Stanford Institute of Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences, Stanford University
Bill Harbaugh, Ph.D., Economics, University of Oregon
Ulrich Mayr, Ph.D., Psychology, University of Oregon
Jim Andreoni, Ph.D., Economics, University of California, San Diego
Discussants: Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
10:30 – 10:45am Coffee Break
10:45 – 12:15pm Session Six Open discussion
Moderator: James R. Doty, M.D, Director, Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education
Concluding Remarks: Tenzin Tethong, Executive Committee, Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education
12:15 – 1:15pm Lunch, Vidalakis Room,
Schwab Residential Center, 680 Serra Street
1:30pm Shuttle Returns Guest to Hotel
