Yale Program for Medicine, Spirituality, & Religion

The Yale Program for Medicine, Spirituality, & Religion is founded upon the belief that holistic healing concerns both the wellness of the body and the spirit. We seek to understand the implications of religious practice, communal support, and intrinsic belief on health and wellness. We are scholarly in focus, seeking evidence to discern how the interplay between these worlds impact each other. We are collaborative in spirit, reaching across Yale University and other institutions to foster dialogue and research.

As scholars and practitioners, we recognize the deep influence that religious and spiritual commitments have in biomedicine and understanding illness. Religious and spiritual beliefs influence ethical choices, attitudes concerning death and grieving, belief in complementary therapies, and commitments towards justice and fairness. We seek diverse perspectives, and collaborate with colleagues from divinity, chaplaincy, public health, legal, and medical communities.

Thus, the purpose of YPMSR is to:

1. Foster dialogue about the interplay between religion, spirituality, and medicine among students and faculty at Yale University and beyond.
2. Collaborate across departments and schools in the research of religion, spirituality, and medicine.
3. Translate and disseminate the fruits of research in order to foster mutual understanding, to reimagine medicine, and to improve patient care.

If interested in further information, please contact our co-directors:

• Lydia Dugdale, MD
  Email: Lydia.dugdale@yale.edu
• Benjamin Doolittle, MD
  Email: Benjamin.doolittle@yale.edu
• Or Call: 203.785.7941