As a physician-investigator, professor, and psychiatrist, my mission is to support in real-world improvements in mental health by leveraging and strengthening people’s social connections. I have maintained a continuous record of independent, federal grant funding as a Principal Investigator (PI) since 2015, with much of my research focusing on loneliness, social isolation (including the global phenomenon of hikikomori), suicide prevention, and mental health services for U.S. military veterans. My research has been covered in a range of national and international media including BBC, CNN, NPR, TIME, USA Today, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post.

The overarching theme of my research is how our social connections and interpersonal relationships shape and influence mental health outcomes. In this work, I attempt to harness the benefits of social, while also understanding and minimizing the dangers of social isolation and loneliness. My research draws from my training in health services research, behavior change theory, social psychology, and psychiatry.