Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University. She is also the founding scientific chair and board member for the U.S. Foundation for Social Connection and the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection. Her work focuses on the individual and population health effects, biological mechanisms, and effective strategies to mitigate risk and promote protection associated with social connection. Dr. Holt-Lunstad’s research has been seminal in the recognition of social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for early mortality. As the lead scientific editor for a US Surgeon General’s Advisory and Framework for a National Strategy, her work also focuses on translating evidence into practice and policy. She serves as a scientific advisor and regularly consults for organizations across sectors aimed at addressing this issue. She has provided expert testimony in a US Congressional Hearing, served as a member of multiple National Academy of Sciences consensus committees, the UK Cross Departmental Loneliness Team, European Joint Research Council, World Health Organization, and a subject matter expert for the Gravity Project, Commit to Connect the national clearinghouse of interventions and the CDC. Her work has been widely recognized within her discipline, including several awards, and is regularly highlighted in major media outlets.
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From Loneliness to Social Connection: Lessons from research and a global pandemic
2023/10/11 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
On Wednesday, October 11th, from 1-1:50 PM in FXB G12 or virtually, please join us in welcoming Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad for the first event in our Fall 2023 Loneliness and Well-being Seminar Series.
Decades of evidence across multiple scientific disciplines have accumulated pointing to widespread health impacts associated with social connection, or lack thereof. Despite this evidence, social connection has been widely assumed to be a personal issue primarily associated with emotional well-being, underappreciating the physical and public health ramifications. While a global pandemic raised awareness of loneliness and the importance of social connection, it simultaneously revealed gaps in our understanding. Drawing upon her work with the US Surgeon General Advisory and the broader scientific literature, Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad will highlight the scope of the social connection issue, present evidence of health implications, and discuss challenges and opportunities for translating this evidence into practical solutions and policy.