Today, we are joined by Dr. Lia Antico, a neuroscientist, educator, and contemplative scholar whose work explores the neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying burnout, empathy, and compassion in health professionals.
Dr. Lia Antico is an Assistant Doctor at the Medical School of the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Brown University School of Public Health. Her research investigates the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying various states of mind and body, focusing specifically on burnout and anxiety. She develops and tests interventions based on mindfulness aimed at preventing or alleviating burnout and fostering well-being and flourishing at work, especially among healthcare professionals. Her teaching expertise includes the neuroscience of meditation and mind-body medicine. Dr. Antico is a qualified teacher of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program and leads mindfulness meditations in both secular and spiritual contexts. She is a strong advocate for Contemplation in Action, emphasizing the integration of mindfulness into daily life and relationships to build communities grounded in authenticity and trust.
In the conversation, Dr. Antico shares how her early volunteer experiences in hospitals and her Christian contemplative tradition, particularly within the Jesuit practice of contemplation in action, shaped her path into neuroscience and clinician wellbeing research.
We also cover:
- The development of a brief app-based mindfulness intervention at Brown University that reduced burnout by 30% and anxiety by 40% in clinicians
- The neuroscientific distinction between empathy and compassion and why understanding this difference matters for sustainable caregiving
- Her vision for creating spaces in hospitals and universities where clinicians can pause, breathe, share experiences, and reconnect with meaning in their work
Dr. Antico concludes by emphasizing the importance of building communities grounded in authenticity and trust, where healthcare professionals can normalize their struggles and support one another through contemplative practice integrated into daily life.