A Harvard medical graduate with a postgraduate degree in medical education at UCLA, Siegel additionally served at the National Institute of Mental Health as a Research Fellow where he studied relationships and family interactions. An expert in how attachment and relationships influence memory, emotions, and behavior, his research integrates psychological theories of interpersonal neurobiology with mindfulness practice. Siegel asserts the importance of mindfulness in the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle; suggesting that if individuals practice it long-term, it induces a unique state of brain activation, benefiting and transforming the mind in the long-run. Specifically, he suggests that the long-term benefits of mindfulness include the reduction of stress, binge-eating and also increased optimism and self-control.