The Alan E. Kazdin Endowed Lecture in Psychology
This annual lecture is supported by an endowment from Alan E. Kazdin, PhD in grateful acknowledgement of the impact that the faculty in Psychology has had on his career and no doubt on the careers of many others. Kazdin is Sterling Professor of Psychology and Child Psychiatry at Yale University and an alumnus of the SJSU Psychology Department (1967).
Each year we invite a distinguished and influential speaker to inspire a new generation of psychologists and shape the future of our field and our society.
Fall 2024 Lecture
Elissa Epel, Ph.D.
The Science of Stress and Deep Rest States and Relevance to Healthy Longevity
Dr. Elissa Epel is a Professor and Vice Chair of Psychology, Research, Diversity, and Health Equity in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.
She is a health psychologist who has conducted pioneering research into how stress impacts our health, at the cellular level. She is also focused on prevention of mental health conditions and slowing aging, by reducing stress and increasing emotional well being. Her research is among the top 1% globally based on citation impact.
Dr. Epel is a member of National Academy of Medicine, past President of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and director of a UC wide Climate Mental Health Council. She studied psychology and psychobiology at Stanford University (BA) and clinical and health psychology at Yale University (PhD). She loves the excitement of discovery research, the regenerative energy of collaborating on group projects, and the deep rest states and joy that come from nature and retreats.
