A leading expert on stress and its impact on aging, Elissa Epel Ph.D. studies the intersection of well-being and stress and how they shape our bodies as we grow older. Epel is also a professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as Vice Chair of Psychology Research and Community, where she directs the Aging Metabolism Emotions Center.
Epel’s research centers on the mind-body connection, exploring environmental, psychological, behavioral, and social factors, from telomeres to inflammation to meditation. One of the most highly-cited scientists in her field, Epel’s most recent 2025 paper looked at how the Wim Hof Method for breathing practices can reduce depression symptoms in as little as three weeks.
Epel is the co-author of The New York Times best-seller “The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer,” and author of “The Stress Prescription,” which offers science-based tools for immediately reducing stress.
An advocate for accessible mental health tools, Epel leads science-based meditation retreats, and also chairs the UC Wide Climate Resilience Initiative, a collaborative of expert mindfulness teachers and UC Faculty across all 10 UC Campuses. In its first year, the program improved young adult mental health, and is now focused on how resilience training may improve executive function and emotional regulation and biosensor profiles of daily stress and sleep.
Epel is a sought-after consultant to organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Apple, and United Health. Her research is featured across multiple media outlets. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the past President of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and the past co-chair of the Mind & Life Institute Steering Council.
It’s a pleasure to welcome Dr. Epel to our DOC 2025 Faculty and our growing DOC community.