Doug Oman

Doug Oman is an Adjunct Professor in Community Health Sciences at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, where he has served since 2001. Holding a doctorate in Biostatistics from UC Berkeley, he teaches doctoral, masters, and undergraduate courses including Community Health Sciences, Maternal Child Health, and an annual specialized course on spiritual/religious factors in public health.

His educational background centers on a PhD in Biostatistics from the University of California, Berkeley, providing the methodological foundation for his public health research.

Oman's research program investigates spirituality, religion, and psychosocial factors' impact on health, with emphasis on compassion, character strengths, and virtues. His empirical studies and interventions demonstrate how spiritually-oriented meditation improves compassion and forgiveness among health professionals. The 2018 book Why Religion and Spirituality Matter for Public Health synthesizes evidence for clinical and public health applications, while his 2025 Public Health Implementation of Mindfulness (PHIOMM) framework provides actionable strategies for integrating contemplative practices into community health infrastructure.

His publication portfolio spans over 90 peer-reviewed articles, showing consistent focus on evidence-based applications of spiritual practices across diverse populations. Recent work emphasizes scalable implementation models that address cultural, religious, and political contexts while targeting depression, anxiety, stress, and addiction.

Oman's scientific contributions are recognized through prestigious awards:

• Templeton Prize for Exemplary Paper in Religion and the Medical Sciences (1998) for "Religion and Mortality Among the Community-Dwelling Elderly"
• William C. Bier Award (2018) for outstanding interdisciplinary work in psychology of religion

As an educator, he has mentored generations of public health students while serving as Principal Investigator for two NIH-funded randomized controlled trials. His editorial leadership includes Associate Editor roles for Mindfulness and Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, plus service on the Journal of Health Psychology editorial board. His 2016-2017 presidency of the Society for Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (APA Division 36) advanced interdisciplinary dialogue.

Through the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, Oman's research program bridges contemplative science and public health policy, currently developing the PHIOMM framework to institutionalize mindfulness support in urban planning, workplaces, and healthcare systems globally.