EP 88: Designing Relationships for Health | Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Does loneliness make us sicker? Do people who have more friends live longer? Why is loneliness a public health issue? Julianne Holt-Lunstad is a professor of psychology and neuroscience, and the Martin B. Hickman distinguished scholar at Brigham Young University. She is also the founding scientific chair of the U.S. Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness and Foundation for Social Connections. Dr. Holt-Lunstad’s research is focused on understanding the long-term health effects, biological mechanisms, and effective strategies to mitigate risk and promote protection associated with social connection.  Her work has been seminal in the recognition of social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for early mortality. 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, consults with the office of the US Surgeon General, served as a member of the UK Cross Departmental Loneliness Team, a member of a National Academy of Sciences consensus committee, and a subject matter expert for the Gravity Project and Commit to Connect the national clearinghouse of interventions. Her work has been widely recognized within her discipline, including several awards, and is regularly highlighted in major media outlets.  Episode Mentions: Julianne’s Website: https://www.julianneholtlunstad.com Julianne’s Academic Site: https://julianneholtlunstad.byu.edu Coalition to End Social Isolation and Lonliness Foundation for Social Connection Gravity Project Article: Reducing Social Isolation Isn’t Rocket Science, or Is It? - Psychology Today Article: Social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of death from heart attack, stroke - Science Daily Article: Loneliness among older people: A research roundup and 5 tips for covering the topic - The Journalist’s Resource Follow Julianne: Twitter | Insta | LinkedIn Episode Website: https://mailchi.mp/designlabpod/julianneholtlunstad More episode sources & links Sign-up for Design Lab Podcast’s Newsletter Previous Episode Newsletters and Shownotes Follow @DesignLabPod on Twitter Instagram and LinkedIn Follow @BonKu on Twitter & Instagram Check out the Health Design Lab Production by Robert Pugliese Edit by Fernando Queiroz Cover Design by Eden Lew Theme song by Emmanuel Houston Indexed in the Library of Congress: ISSN 2833-2032