Elissa Epel

Elissa Epel is a professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She studies how chronic stress can impact biological aging—including the telomere/telomerase system—and food addiction, and how self-regulation and meditation may buffer stress effects and promote psychological and physiological thriving. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, president-elect of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and on the steering council for The Mind & Life Institute. Elissa coleads retreats integrating mind-body science with meditation, including the Longevity Week at Blue Spirit, Costa Rica.

Epel cowrote The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer, a New York Times best-seller that integrates the science of cell aging with practical daily tips and has been translated into 30 languages. She has won many awards for her research, which has been featured in venues such as TEDMED, NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s Morning Show, 60 Minutes, National Public Radio, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Wisdom 2.0, Health 2.0, and in science documentaries. In addition to doing research, she enjoys leading meditation retreats with her colleagues. 

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