Stuart Nelson

Stuart Nelson has served as the Institute for Spirituality and Health’s Vice-President for the past six years. In this capacity, he uses his training in both the sciences and the humanities to creatively organize and execute a broad range of programs and services, as well as to help manage the Institute's long term vision, strategic plan, and general operations. Stuart grew up in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, attending international schools until college. He earned bachelor's degrees in cognitive science, religious studies, and psychology from Rice University. During this time, he realized that the scholarly study of religion has tremendous potential to inform and compliment health systems. He completed a masters in religious studies at UC Santa Barbara, where he used theories and methods from cognitive science of religion to inform work at the intersection between religious identity and mental health. This passion extends to his current work. Stuart enjoys hip-hop, classic rock, and classical Indian music, as well as impressionism, surrealism, and modern art. Additionally, he is an avid birder.