Richard Cowden

Richard G. Cowden, Ph.D., is a social-personality psychologist and Research Scientist with the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University and the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is interested in a wide range of psychological, social, and religious/spiritual dynamics that shape adaptive functioning, personal growth, and well-being. Much of his current research agenda focuses on topics related to adversity (e.g., suffering), character strengths and virtues (e.g., forgiveness), and religion/spirituality (e.g., religious/spiritual struggles), and their implications for health and well-being in diverse cultures and contexts. He has written and contributed to numerous scholarly articles, book chapters, and books that address various aspects of human flourishing in a wide range of populations. Through interdisciplinary engagement, he is also involved in developing and disseminating interventions designed to promote human flourishing across various cultural contexts.