Brandon Vaidyanathan

Brandon Vaidyanathan is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institutional Flourishing Lab at The Catholic University of America. He holds a BBA from St. Francis Xavier University, an MBA from HEC Montreal, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame. His affiliations include the Institute for Human Ecology, Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship, and programs at Rice University, Harvard University, and the University of Southern California.

His research examines:

• Cultural dynamics in religious and scientific institutions
• Mental health and well-being in academia
• Aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of professional work
• Cross-national studies on science, religion, and public engagement

Recent publications analyze beauty in scientific practice, clergy morale, bias in academic hiring, and pandemic impacts on scientists' mental health. His work employs qualitative and cross-cultural methodologies, emphasizing institutional transformation and human flourishing.

He has secured grants from the Templeton Foundation, Lilly Endowment, and Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Current projects include studies on priestly well-being, aesthetic experiences in science, and global scientific collaboration.

He leads the Institutional Flourishing Lab, which investigates how organizations cultivate meaningful work, and founded 'Beauty at Work,' a media platform exploring aesthetics in professional life.