Serving Life: Formative Research Exploring the Benefits of Yoga for Incarcerated Populations
Chanda Williams, PhD

Chanda Williams, PhD, C-IAYT, is a UCSF postdoctoral fellow with a doctoral degree in somatic depth psychology. She has degrees in mechanical engineering and integrative health. The primary focus of Chanda's research interest lies in integrative health and health disparities research. Chanda is collaborating with UCSF faculty on several research projects, including studying the community midwifery model of care to improve postpartum health and examining the current uptake and acceptability of integrative oncology practices among Black individuals with cancer. She is also a research specialist for a clinical research study sponsored by UCSF and the VA, evaluating the effects of mindfulness-based movement for veterans with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).

A longtime yoga practitioner, yoga teacher, yoga teacher trainer, and yoga therapist, Chanda aims to support the complex healing journey for those who have experienced trauma with care, compassion, and understanding. For over ten years, she taught trauma-informed, mindfulness-based yoga practices to incarcerated populations at jails and prisons in California, including San Quentin State Prison. She is dedicated to increasing access to body-mind practices to overcome trauma, improve mental health, and cultivate a sense of greater well-being. 

Register here: https://ucsf.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0od-mhrzspGdRjS8L71iaVxb4nJqZ6yda8

For information on Research Seminars at the Osher Center for Integrative Health, visit our website: https://osher.ucsf.edu/research/research-seminars