Elissa Epel

Elissa S. Epel is an accomplished health psychologist who currently serves as a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Not only does she direct UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center, but she is also the associate director of the Center for Health and Community. With a focus on the mind-body connection, Epel's research has uncovered that chronic psychological stress could potentially lead to the premature wear of telomeres, the protective tips of chromosomes, thus predicting early disease and death. Her insights on how personality, mindset, and lifestyle choices can impact this process have been instrumental in the field.

She is the founder of the UCSF Center for Obesity Assessment, Study, and Treatment and also directed the Aging, Metabolism, and Emotions Lab. Her outstanding work led to her election as a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2016. She has co-authored a book with Elizabeth Blackburn titled "The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer" and also released a second book, "The Stress Prescription: 7 Days to More Joy and Ease," which has been recognized as a bestseller in health and fitness.

Epel has also engaged with the community by creating a free webinar series aimed at facilitating reentry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research paper "The geroscience agenda: Toxic stress, hormetic stress, and the rate of aging" was published through the Ageing Research Reviews. Furthermore, her research team received the inaugural round of Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards for their project focused on testing the potency of hormetic stress to reduce depression and slow biological aging. Epel was recognized by Clarivate in 2021 for being among the top 1% of researchers globally, attesting to her significant impact in her field.