In this role, Erika will strengthen community across CCARE’s educational programs, build connections with Stanford colleagues engaged in compassion-related work, and create opportunities for participants to bring compassion into everyday life. This fall, she will also launch a free community practice gathering, offering an inclusive space for reflection, connection, and shared practice.

Erika brings more than 30 years of experience spanning emotion science, contemplative practice, and teaching. Her work focuses on helping people better understand themselves and one another, deepen connection, and reduce suffering.

Beginning in January 2027, Erika will also serve as CCARE’s Director of Compassion Education, helping guide and strengthen CCARE’s educational programs.

Please join us in welcoming Erika back to the CCARE community.

The post Welcome, Dr. Erika Rosenberg, CCARE’s New Director of Community and Belonging appeared first on The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

Tristan is a Marine Corps veteran and undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies Data Analytics and Social Sciences. His path into research has been intentionally interdisciplinary. He currently coordinates data and study operations at Stanford’s Precision Neurotherapeutics Lab and at the National Center for PTSD at the VA Palo Alto, where his work spans EEG-guided neuromodulation, neuroimaging, and federal data archive pipelines. His earlier work in computational topology, single-cell genomics, and volunteering in Stanford’s Adult Emergency Department reflects a broader belief that some of the most meaningful science happens at the intersections between disciplines, methods, and the communities research is meant to serve.

At CCARE, Tristan brings intellectual curiosity, disciplined execution, and a deep interest in how rigorous science can support human flourishing in practical and deeply human ways. His arrival strengthens our capacity to advance the evidence base for compassion-centered programs and opens new possibilities for research collaboration.

Tristan’s position is a direct reflection of what donor investment makes possible: honoring those who came before, training the next generation of compassion scientists, and carrying the mission forward. We invite donors, collaborators, and community members to join us in welcoming him and to explore what we might build together.

Please join us in welcoming Tristan to the CCARE family.

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Driven by a deep commitment to mission-centered work that fosters learning, human connection, and well-being, Kyla brings expertise in program development, digital marketing, and operational systems to help CCARE’s programs reach the people seeking them.

In her role at CCARE, Kyla manages the day-to-day operations of our educational programs, overseeing participant experience, marketing and enrollment, event coordination, and data reporting. She also collaborates with the team on strategic initiatives to help grow and sustain the center’s mission.

Kyla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Gender Studies from the College of the Holy Cross and an Elementary Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. She spent a decade as an elementary educator and another decade running a small business. Most recently, Kyla led program operations for an online career school, enabling thousands of adult learners to successfully embark on a new career. Her varied background brings a diverse perspective to her work at CCARE.

Kyla’s personal and professional values are closely aligned with CCARE’s mission, and she is committed to building the systems and experiences that help compassion-centered programs flourish and grow.

This is an exciting moment for CCARE, and Kyla’s arrival opens new possibilities for collaboration, partnership, and growth. We invite donors, collaborators, and community members to join us in welcoming her and to explore what we might build together.

Please join us in welcoming Kyla to the CCARE family.

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Dr. Balters bridges neuroscience, engineering, and lived human experience, opening new pathways for discovery and real-world impact. Through her innovative work in single-brain and dual-brain neuroscience, she studies compassion as a dynamic process that unfolds between people in real interactions. This approach allows CCARE to better understand how compassion works in the brain, why it supports resilience and healing, and when it can be strengthened through intentional practice.

Under her leadership, CCARE will deepen the scientific foundation of its educational programs and compassion-based practices, linking lived experience with measurable brain science. Learn more about Dr. Balters’ from her CCARE Profile.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Balters to the CCARE community. We invite you to connect, share ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

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James “Jim” R. Doty, MD, founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford Medicine, died at age 69 on July 16, 2025, after complications from surgery. He was with those closest to him, including his dog, Ringo.

“A highly successful entrepreneur and immensely skilled neurosurgeon, Jim was committed to using his abilities to better the human experience,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs at Stanford University. “His compassion and kindness improved the lives of countless individuals, and his legacy will resonate at Stanford and beyond.”

Doty founded CCARE at Stanford Medicine in 2008 and funded it by selling stock he earned running a surgical tool company. CCARE is a hub for interdisciplinary research and a training ground for compassion practices that can be applied not only in medicine, but in other workplaces, communities, and everyday life. Doty led the academic study of compassion and altruism and designed programs to teach compassion skills.

“His is a legacy of generosity, of kindness, of compassion,” said Robert Cusick, director of compassion education at CCARE. “He didn’t just talk about compassion – he lived it. He walked his talk.”

Besides his work at CCARE, Doty was a neurosurgeon who specialized in tools that deliver targeted radiation treatments to the brain and allow for minimally invasive and complex spine surgery. He was also a philanthropist and a New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop – about how mindfulness techniques transformed his life – and Mind Magic – about the neuroscience of manifestation. He was an entrepreneur, investor, and consultant to startup companies. At his death, he was CEO of Happi.AI, an app using his face and voice as a human avatar to deliver compassion-based coaching.

Doty had a larger-than-life presence in every sense of the phrase. Physically, he was a towering figure – 6-foot-5 with a broad frame. When he walked into a room, he commanded it, not just because of his size, but because of the energy and warmth that radiated from him, colleagues said. They added that it was intimidating at first, but he was quick to disarm people.

Doty was unapologetically himself – boisterous, direct, with no time for pretension. He often cursed, his CCARE colleagues said, but he was also deeply vulnerable, willing to shed tears and expose his tender side. People were drawn to his radical honesty, unpolished edges, and raw authenticity, Neelama Eyres, director of program development at CCARE, said.

“As much of a giant as he was, he was equally able to convey this humble humanity,” Eyres said. “That’s why so many people who never met him felt this personal kinship with him.”

Rags to riches and back again

Doty was born Dec. 1, 1955, in Lancaster, California, the youngest of three children. His early life was marked by poverty and parents who struggled deeply, something he shared in Into the Magic Shop.

In his youth, Doty’s path was unexpectedly altered by a woman named Ruth, whom he met in a magic shop in a strip mall. She was the shop owner’s mother, and she saw a boy in need of guidance. Over six weeks, she taught him meditation and visualization, giving him a way to imagine a better future.

That potential future first manifested as Doty was the first in his family to go to college. He attended the University of California, Irvine, where he studied biology and rowed crew. In 1976, he met his future wife, Timarie, at a party for the crew team. They married on Aug. 17, 1979, and had a daughter, Jennifer, who was born a week before Doty earned his medical degree from Tulane University in 1981.

After graduation, he completed a neurosurgery residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He served nine years on active duty in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of major and completing fellowships in pediatric neurosurgery and electroneurophysiology.

During the 1990s, Doty built a neurosurgery practice in Orange County, California. Around that time, he reconnected with John Adler, MD, now a professor emeritus in neurosurgery at Stanford Medicine. He first met Adler in the late 1980s while visiting a friend at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where Adler was a resident.

“Jim was a remarkably skilled surgeon,” Adler said. “It always surprised me a little, because his hands were so big. How could they be so delicate? But he had good judgment, and he really was a good surgeon.”

Adler was developing the CyberKnife – a robotic system that delivers highly precise radiation to treat brain tumors without traditional surgery. Doty immediately saw its potential and worked with Adler to bring the system to Hoag Memorial Hospital in Orange County.

In 1997, Doty shifted his focus to working with Adler’s company Accuray, which focused on commercializing the CyberKnife, closing his neurosurgery practice, and relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area. Accuray was running on fumes when Doty invested a sizable personal sum and became CEO. “He saved my company,” Adler recalled. Doty led the company until 1999, securing additional funding and Food and Drug Administration approval for the CyberKnife.

In addition to his Accuray role, Doty joined Stanford Medicine in 1997 as a faculty member in the Department of Neurosurgery. Over the years, he served as an attending neurosurgeon at Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, as chief of the Complex Spine Service, and later as clinical professor of neurosurgery. He remained affiliated with Stanford for more than two decades, where he combined clinical practice; teaching; and, ultimately, his pioneering work in compassion research.

Through his work as a biotechnology entrepreneur, Doty had built a fortune of nearly $75 million in stock. To offset an expected tax bill, he placed his Accuray stock into a trust and pledged the proceeds of its eventual sale to charitable causes.

Turning point

What came next was a turbulent time in Doty’s life. In 1999, he and Timarie divorced. In 2000, the dot-com crash hit, wiping out his personal wealth in a matter of weeks and plunging him $3 million into debt. What remained of his assets was the Accuray stock in the trust, which he had already committed to charitable causes. It was a devastating financial loss, but also a turning point.

While rebuilding his career, focusing on his neurosurgery roles and new biotechnology ventures, Doty met his second wife, Masha, in San Francisco, and they married in 2002. “He was truly my soulmate,” Masha Doty recalled of their 25 years together. Their son Sebastian was born in 2004; son Alexander was born in 2009.

In 2004, Doty took a leave from Stanford Medicine to launch a regional neuroscience institute at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, Mississippi, which became a center of excellence. He was in Gulfport when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and remained for two more years, helping the hospital and community recover.

Losing his money and the period that followed brought Doty back to Ruth’s teachings and showed him the true purpose of his life – learning and teaching about compassion.

Accuray entered the stock market at a $1.3 billion valuation in 2007. When the stock was sold, Doty’s trust generated more than $30 million. Beneficiaries of the trust included Stanford Medicine, as well as Tulane University, where Doty endowed a chair and scholarship, and programs for AIDS, family health, and global health.

The stock that Doty pledged to Stanford Medicine generated the school more than $5 million, one of the largest faculty gifts in its history. The funds established the James R. Doty Professorship in Neurosurgery and Neurosciences, currently held by Ivan Soltesz, PhD, and the annual Doty Family Neurosurgery Prize, awarded to graduating chief residents. The fund was also used to launch CCARE, which he founded with an unprecedented $150,000 donation from the Dalai Lama.

As a part of the School of Medicine, CCARE was created to study the neuroscience of compassion and train people – including those in the medical field ­– in compassion. “Jim taught us that each of us has the capacity to be kind to others, but each of us has the capacity to also be kind to ourselves,” said Al’ai Alvarez, MD, director of quality education at CCARE and clinical associate professor at Stanford Medicine. That kindness can help prevent physician burnout, Alvarez said.

“He was driven by the belief that we could all be better, that we could be kinder, that we could be more compassionate,” Eyres said. “He was determined to pay forward that compassion intervention that was magic for him as a boy.”

Through his leadership at CCARE, his books, and his lectures, Doty became a beacon for those seeking to be more compassionate. “Over and over and over what I heard regarding Jim was that ‘Jim changed my life for the better,’” Eyres said. “This sentiment has been shared by thousands and thousands of people.”

Doty formally stopped practicing medicine in 2021, dedicating himself to writing, teaching, and compassion projects.

A simple family life

For all of his public roles, home was where Doty found his true sanctuary. He led the interior design of their house – carefully curating every doorknob, stone, and plant, Masha Doty said. It was the stage for family dinners, conversations, and quiet evenings in the hot tub.

“As a parent, he was always present,” his son Sebastian Doty said. “Even in the busiest moments, he always made time, whether it was mentoring me when I started a business in high school or grabbing breakfast together.”

His home life blended simplicity with joy. He delighted in movies like The Pink Panther or John Wick. He loved animals, taking special joy in his daily walks with Ringo. Family trips to Orcas Island were another happy refuge. He worked hard, often waking early. “He knew that our time here was limited,” Masha Doty said. “He wanted to pack as much as possible into life so that he could have the most impact on the largest number of people.”

Doty is survived by his wife, Masha; sons, Sebastian and Alexander Doty of Los Altos Hills, California; and his daughter, Jennifer Doty of Bolinas, California. He is also survived by his parents-in-law, Alla and Alexei Zhdanovich. He was preceded in death by his parents, as well as his older brother, Edward Doty, and his sister, Lou Ann Chow.

This story was originally published by Stanford Medicine News Center before it was picked up by the Stanford Report.

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He will be deeply missed by his family, colleagues, faculty, generations of trainees, and grateful patients.

Doty was renowned in multiple areas, including neurosurgery, neuroscience, research, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy. Most notably, he is known for his work exploring the neuroscience of manifestation and how it can heal the problems people face today, as seen in his books as a NY Times bestselling author.

Journey to Stanford

Doty’s career journey began when he completed his undergraduate studies in biological science at the University of California, Irvine. Following that, he attended Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans for his medical training. After being awarded a U.S. Army Health Professions Scholarship, he completed his internship at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI in 1982 and his neurosurgery residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. in 1987.

Additionally, Doty specialized in pediatric neurosurgery and completed a research fellowship in neurophysiology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). He would later serve nine years on active duty with the U.S. Army Medical Department, rising to the rank of major.

In 1997, Doty joined Stanford as faculty, later transitioning to adjunct faculty. He is well known for his role leading the Stanford CCARE, of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. CCARE was founded in 2008 with the explicit goal of promoting, supporting, and conducting rigorous scientific studies of compassion and altruistic behavior.

One of Doty’s colleagues at Stanford was John Adler, MD, the Dorothy and Thye King Chan professor in Neurosurgery (emeritus). The two first met during residency when Jim came to visit his friend, who was Adler’s fellow resident. Years later the two reconnected when Doty, then practicing in Orange County, joined Stanford.

“Jim had a larger-than-life presence,” Adler recalled. “Standing at 6-foot-5, he radiated a rare joy that was hard to find in others. He brought a positive and adventurous spirit to our department.”

Adler, who is known for his creation of the innovative CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery device, attributed Doty to playing a pivotal role in its success. The CyberKnife is used to treat both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.

“Jim’s involvement was crucial for commercialization of CyberKnife,” Adler said. “He helped sell the second machine to a private practice radiologist, which was a major milestone. Then, when the company faced financial difficulties, he made a critical investment and began traveling to Silicon Valley from Orange County more regularly. I’m immensely grateful for Jim’s impact both professionally and personally.”

Doty established a reputation as an expert in minimally invasive and complex spine surgery. As a neuroscientist, Doty contributed to several peer-reviewed journals, concentrating on the neural foundations of compassion and its benefits for mental and physical health, as well as its impact on longevity.

Focused on Compassion

Doty gained a reputation globally, traveling the world to present on meditation, compassion, and self-compassion at various universities, symposiums, and events, including TEDx. Additionally, he ran his own podcast through CCARE, where he interviewed prominent figures such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Werner Erhard, Thich Nhat Hahn, and Jon Hamm.

He also authored a self-help book called “Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart” which was translated into almost 40 languages. He also wrote “Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything” which was published in 2024.

As a philanthropist, he supported health clinics worldwide and initiatives for the disabled, as well as programs for teens and adolescents impacted by AIDS/HIV. He has supported research programs at various universities and established endowed chairs at multiple universities.

Former Chair, Gary K. Steinberg, MD, PhD,Bernard and Ronni Lacroute-William Randolph Hearst professor of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences and professor, by courtesy, of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, also had the opportunity to work alongside Doty.

“Jim was not only a remarkable neurosurgeon but also profoundly committed to compassion,” Steinberg said. “His work has inspired many to embrace compassion as a way to heal the relationship between the mind and body. His absence is felt deeply by our entire Stanford community as we honor the life and legacy he built. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones.”

Originally Posted:
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Motherhood cracked me open — in the hardest and most beautiful ways.

I found myself nursing my newborn — fresh from a NICU stay — beside a teetering tower of parenting books promising answers: sleep routines, feeding schedules, developmental milestones. Each one offered a new version of how to “do it right.” In the haze of postpartum anxiety that familiar perfectionist voice in my mind grew louder than ever. Never had my sense of not-enoughness been more challenged than in those early months of motherhood.

It was in those tender, disoriented days that the roots of my compassion work for parents began to take hold. I realized that what I needed wasn’t another method or framework — it was a place to feel human, held, and whole. A space where compassion wasn’t about doing more, but about making room for what was already there: the joy, the ever expanding capacity to love, the self-doubt, the tenderness.

That realization became the seed of what would grow into my Capstone project through my compassion training at CCARE. The training helped me see that compassion isn’t just something we offer others, it’s something we must also offer to ourselves. And when self-compassion feels out of reach, beginning with compassion toward others can gently guide us back to ourselves.

My project, Nurturing You, Nurturing Them, an eight week course for parents, emerged from a simple but profound need: to create a space where parents can first explore compassion through teaching and experiential practices, and then learn how to access compassion in their daily lives while parenting.

Parenting is a messy, vulnerable, and deeply human process. This course was designed to meet that reality — honestly yet gently. Doing it in community felt essential, as a living practice of our common humanity.

While shaping the course I carried a quiet image in my heart: a hug for parents. Not advice. Not judgment. Just the feeling of being held — seen, understood, cared for — amid the imperfect, beautiful work of raising a family.

Throughout the course, we practiced noticing and responding to suffering– our own and others’ – in everyday moments.  — a child’s meltdown, the weight of daily responsibilities, the ache of self-doubt. We reminded ourselves that things don’t have to be neat or solved. This is a process — and that’s okay. Compassion isn’t about fixing. It’s about staying. The shifts were often subtle — a softening, a bit more self-compassion, a bit more room to stay connected and respond to one’s self and one’s children even when things felt hard. But these subtle shifts grew to have large impacts on their relationships with themselves, partners and children.

The pilot course was just the beginning. In Fall 2025, I’ll be offering Nurturing You, Nurturing Them both in person in Berkeley, CA and online, creating more space for parents to reconnect with themselves — and each other — through compassion. I’m deeply thankful to the compassion program at CCARE Stanford, and to Neelama Eyres, whose steady presence helped guide this work into being.

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My Compassion Capstone Project, “I Wanted You to Know,” aimed to address a critical gap in compassionate care. This initiative introduces a compassionate intake process at hospital admission, allowing a nurse to engage in a 10-minute conversation that highlights meaningful aspects of the patient’s life. A summary, including a photo from a significant moment, is displayed by the patient’s bed, fostering personal connections. “I Wanted You to Know,” was Elected as top #1 in the “Leading Health Initiative of The Year Contest”. Robert Cusick, Director of Compassionate Education at CCARE, mentored me in the efforts to enhance the project and allow its scaling up. Currently, the project is implemented in 10 hospitals across Israel and many more are in the process of adopting it.

In my final month at Stanford, war broke out in Israel. As I processed the reality of this immense suffering, I sought ways to apply my compassion learnings to real-world challenges. I joined a volunteer initiative aimed at alleviating bureaucratic burdens for bereaved families. In collaboration with Neelama Eyres, Director of Program Development at CCARE, we designed training for over 400 managers from banks, insurance companies, municipalities, and healthcare providers to act as care managers, guiding families through the painful bureaucratic process with greater humanity and compassion. This effort was sparked by a heart-wrenching Facebook post from a bereaved mother who received an impersonal letter from her bank after her daughter was murdered. Our goal was to transform such cold interactions into opportunities for compassionate, human-centered support.

As the war continued, the need for compassion only grew. My NGO, Mehva, received generous support from donors eager to provide caregivers and medical staff with tools for compassionate action. Over the past year, our activities expanded significantly to include:

• Compassion Certification for Medical Departments – We are developing a certification process for healthcare departments that commit to sustained compassionate care. This initiative is guided by an advisory committee including hospital directors, senior psychology faculty, and public sector leaders.

• National Policy Advocacy – In partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Health, we convened a roundtable with key healthcare leaders, resulting in a policy recommendation report for the Minister of Health on embedding compassion as a pillar of healing and social recovery.

• Training and Development – based on the tools I gained through CCARE, we have developed workshops and training materials for medical staff and managers. 

The work I’ve done through CCARE has profoundly shaped my journey, leaving a lasting imprint on both my heart and my work. I am deeply and endlessly grateful to Dr. James Doty and the entire CCARE team for their wisdom, kindness, and unwavering support, shared with endless care and love at the times I have needed it the most. Their guidance continues to inspire and empower me, equipping me with the tools to bring compassion and humanity in these challenging times to the places that need them most.

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The report introduces the Muhammad Ali Index, a national research initiative designed to measure and analyze the state of compassion across diverse communities in the United States. The initiative utilizes a combination of cultural and behavioral studies, along with a comprehensive survey conducted in 12 cities, to provide insights into how compassion manifests at various levels—toward self, interpersonally, between groups, within local communities, and as a nation.

Key findings highlight six “Compassion Sweet Spots” where compassion is particularly vital and can be strengthened, including self-care and education. The authors outline objectives focused on rooting out hate and division, informing public discourse on unity, empowering community leaders, and galvanizing partnerships aimed at creating compassionate initiatives. The report suggests several community-focused initiatives aligned with CCARE’s mission, most notably a call for schools and community organizations to implement programs that teach the importance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution skills in order to cultivate a culture of compassion.

READ THE FULL REPORT

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The phrase itself had a natural resonance—its tone, flow, and imagery caught my attention. I knew it was significant. Today, more than ever, I see the urgent need to acknowledge and cultivate our awareness of Common Humanity. That realization has shaped my mission: helping men awaken to their fullest potential and overcome the barriers that hold them back.

In 2020, my co-host, retired Navy SEAL Jon Macaskill, and I launched the Men Talking Mindfulness podcast to help men embrace mindfulness and a holistic way of living. Through our research, I uncovered a key challenge many men face: recognizing the need for help, asking for it, and accepting it. It may sound simple, even obvious, but for many men, the fear of appearing “weak” is deeply ingrained. While this doesn’t apply to every man, it’s a common reality.

Rather than getting caught up in why this perception of “weakness” exists, we can shift our focus to the nurturing and prosocial aspects of Common Humanity—exploring what we can do to reshape our understanding of vulnerability and its impact on our lives.

By definition, Common Humanity emphasizes our shared struggles, imperfections, and interconnectedness. It fosters belonging and compassion over loneliness and isolation. This interconnectedness is a gift.

Think about it—without each other, we can’t truly thrive or even know who we are.

I witnessed this firsthand while designing and leading The Better Men Project, an experiential workshop for men as part of my Applied Compassion Training (ACT) Capstone project in 2023. I gathered 15 men in a New York City yoga studio, where we began with physical movement, breathwork, and deep reflection.

Anger became our shared focal point. Many men struggle with anger yet avoid discussing it. I introduced the topic, addressed common misconceptions, and asked each man to explore his personal experience with anger—where it manifests, how it affects his life, and its consequences. They wrote, reflected, and finally faced each other—eye to eye—to share their insights.

The tension in the room was palpable. Many men are hesitant, even fearful of discussing their emotions—especially anger, which often carries shame. But as they opened up, something remarkable happened.

The magic of Common Humanity emerged.

The results exceeded my expectations. These men, through shared vulnerability, gained powerful insights into their relationship with anger. More importantly, they realized they weren’t alone. That realization—that we are not alone in our suffering—is deeply healing. It’s where transformation begins.

In today’s tech-driven world, it’s easy to lose sight of our Common Humanity. Social media algorithms push us into echo chambers, fostering isolation rather than connection. What will another decade of endless scrolling do to society? I don’t want to find out.

In my experience, nothing replaces face-to-face interactions. Virtual groups can be impactful, but real, in-person connection remains unmatched.

As ambassadors of compassion, as leaders and students of this work, I challenge you: How can you awaken Common Humanity in your communities? How can you help lift people out of isolation?

It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. It can be as simple as gathering old friends or creating meaningful conversations. The key is intention—and action.

Be bold. Take the leap. You just might change someone’s life.

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