Selected Media
Find media highlights from Dr. Epel on Stress and Aging, Hope and Compassion During Times of Crises, Resilience, Breathing, and Stress and Eating.
Elissa has also curated a mental health library resource for crises from experts-- mini videos and written resources at https://psychiatry.ucsf.edu/copingresources.
Stress and Aging
Essentials: Manage Stress & Build Resilience | Huberman Lab Podcast
October 8, 2026
Watch Dr. Epel and Dr. Andrew Huberman discuss how acute and chronic stress affects the body and brain, including their links to cellular aging and mitochondrial health, on the Huberman Lab Podcast!
Lifespan Expanded: The Scientific Quest For A Fountain Of Youth
April 28, 2022
We’re born, we grow old, we die. It’s a rhythm long considered inevitable. But is it? Or is aging merely a disease awaiting a cure? Will science one day stave off aging or even reverse it?
What stress does to your body (it isn’t always bad!)
Mar 20, 2020
5-minute overview on acute vs chronic stress and telomere length! According to UCSF’s Dr. Elissa Epel, not all stress is the same. Hint: It’s all about *how* you react to the things that stress you out.
Cell Aging, Mindset, & Longevity
Jan 9, 2011
Don't worry, live longer: The UCSF researchers Dr. Elissa Epel and Dr. Calvin Harley show how psychological stress causes our cells to age by helping to shorten telomeres, the DNA at the very tips of our chromosomes at TedMed 2011.
Generations over Dinner (Over Lunch)
Dec 21, 2022
Intergenerational relationships are important now than ever, at a time when we are especially segmented into age silos. Hear a panel on this moderated by Michael Hebb, including Lois Epel.
Happiness Break: Finding Calm in Uncertainty
Jan 22, 2026
Elissa Epel leads us in a gentle, science-backed practice to calm our nervous systems and meet uncertainty with greater ease and acceptance.
The Power of Deep Rest | UCTV
Oct 7, 2024
Dr. Elissa Epel describes the power of deep rest. Perpetual stress runs us down, but a truly restorative state can counter this deterioration, down to the cellular level. Read more in this UCSF news article.
Stress Awareness, Bio-sensing, and Healthspan
April 21, 2026
Dr. Epel's keynote at Human+Tech Week exploring how chronic stress accelerates biological aging and how bio-sensing can help us build resilience.
The Repairing Power of Rest | DOC Health
Jan 25, 2026
Dr. Epel advocates for rest: a very low-tech and simple mechanism that can help our systems not only recover but shift into a state of repair.
The Telomere Effect: Living Healthier and Longer with Dr. Elissa Epel at Happiness & Its Causes 2019
Sep 4, 2019
Elissa describes “The Telomere Effect” at the Sydney, AU, 2019 Annual conference: Happiness and its Causes.
Dr. Elissa Epel on Telomeres and the Role of Stress Biology in Cellular Aging
Jun 10, 2019
Dr. Epel shares the latest research on telomeres and the role of stress biology in cellular aging as a guest on Found My Fitness with Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
Stress, hormesis, and healthy longevity
Oct 7, 2025
Dr. Elissa Epel presents groundbreaking research on how chronic stress accelerates cellular aging—and how restorative practices can reverse it. Moving beyond traditional stress-disease models, Dr. Epel reveals the biology of "salutogenic allostatic states" and demonstrates how we can harness both hormetic stress and deep rest to slow biological aging.
How to Recover From Decades of Chronic Stress | Unlikely Collaborators Science of Perception Box Podcast
2026
Dr. Epel breaks down the science of why chronic vigilance quietly ages our cells and shortens telomeres.
Mindfulness, Metabolism, and Next-gen Effects | BrainMind Summit
March 7, 2024
Dr. Epel highlights the link between mindfulness and metabolism during pregnancy.
"The Science of Well-Being: Stress, Mindfulness, and Wellness" with Soren Gordhamer | Wisdom 2.0 (2023)
June 22, 2023
Dr. Epel explores the science of well-being and how to manage chronic stress through mindfulness and deep restoration.
Mind, Body, and Stress | Mind & Life Podcast
July 5, 2023
Dr. Epel discusses the mind-body connection and actionable insights to reduce stress and promote health.
Hope and Compassion During Times of Crises
Embracing Hope, Courage, and Compassion in Times of Crisis
Dec 8, 2022
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dr. Epel and Michelle Shiota discuss how to embrace the current moment with compassion, courage, and purpose.
Mental Health Resources for Crises (Climate, Pandemics, and Personal Crises)
Dr. Epel spearheaded the creation of COPE, a library of mental health resources that aims to help our community cope during a crisis. This includes videos and instructions from psychology experts. Check it out!
Listen: How should we cope with the pandemic now
Aug 6, 2021
Listen to Dr. Epel talk about pandemic stress and the delta surge on the Fifth & Mission podcast!
First Person: Stress Scientist Elissa Epel On Where She Finds Hope
Aug 21, 2021
Dr. Epel joins the First Person diary to talk about resilience in the face of social isolation caused by the COVID shutdowns.
Coping with coronavirus: An upside of anxiety, the curse of panic
Mar 16, 2020
Dr. Epel joins SF Gate to talk about coping with anxiety and panic during the pandemic.
The pessimistic generation; How grown-ups can grow up and give kids give hope
Oct 29, 2021
Pessimism in children is becoming a rampant issue. Tune in for Dr. Epel's advice on overcoming pessimism and prioritizing mental health.
Resilience
Eliss Epel and Rick Hanson: Strengthening your Body Agaisnt Stress
Mar 26, 2018
Dr. Epel joins Rick Hanson to discuss the impacts of stress on your body and what you can do to protect, strengthen, and repair it.
Stress and Resilience with Elissa Epel and Dacher Keltner
May 11, 2021
Dr. Epel and Dr. Keltner talk about building stress resilience and bouncing back from hardship.
Zen Brain: Complexity and Connectivity: The Emotional Ecosystem (Part 8a)
Feb 7, 2016
Listen to Dr. Epel's intriguing work regarding our emotional ecosystem. Her research demonstrates that our well-being, through our extended mind, shapes the health of microbiota and mitochondria.
Breathing
Could Breathing Techniques be the key to aging slower?
Oct 19, 2018
Megyn Kelly TODAY talks with Dr. Elissa Epel and Dr. Aric Prather on their research on how different breathing techniques may impact aging.
Deep Breathing: A Fundamental Part of Stress Reduction
Sept 24, 2020
Dr. Epel describes how simply slowing our breathing rate can reduce arousal in our autonomic nervous system.
Feeling anxious? The way you breathe could be adding to it
Jan 8, 2021
Did you know that the rate and depth of your breath can be a huge determine to your mental health? Read more about research on breathing and mental health!
Stress and Eating
Food and the Aging Brain: Updates on Nutrition and Cognitive Health in Older Adults
Nov 19, 2020
*10 minute summary starts at 38 minutes!
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Dr. Elissa Epel gave a talk at the National Academy of Sciences Food Forum, on Nutrition and Mental Health. This webinar explored the relationship between nutrition and dietary patterns and the aging brain.
The Illusion of Control- Human Behavior and Donuts: Dr. Elissa Epel at TEDxSF
Dec 12, 2012
Listen to Dr. Epel's TedX talk on the relationship between pereceived control, stress, and eating behaviors.
Emotional well being research, and overview of compulsive eating interventions
Jun 23, 2022
*Compulsive eating and sugary drinking update starts at 40 minutes
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Tune into Dr. Epel's discussion on the relationship between stress and compulsive eating and related interventions, such as mindfulness-based training modules.
Climate Crisis and Resilience
A Future We Can Love: Inner Transformation to Outer Climate Action
July 6, 2023
This broadcast will explore how the inner dimensions of climate change—mindsets, psychological resilience, and spirituality—can lead to transformation and action. .
Mental Health Resources (COPE Website): Coping with Wildfires and Climate Change Crises
Check out the resources that Dr. Epel curated for coping with climate crises!
Mind and Life Summer Research Institute: The Mind, the Human-Earth Connection, and the Climate Crisis
Jun 6, 2021 - Jun 11, 2021
Dr. Epel co-chaired the Mind and Life Research Institute's weeklong seminar. It highlights talks by inspiring leaders in climate repair, resilience, and activism. You can watch for free (or give a donation)!
Mobilizing Health Psychology for the Climate Crisis | Health Psych Currents Podcast
Oct 9, 2026
On this episode of the Society for Health Psychology's Health Psych Currents podcast, Dr. Epel and Dr. White discuss their paper, "Transforming health psychology and behavioral medicine to address the climate crisis: A call for strategic research and advocacy." They share how the field can meet this public health threat with large levers of change.
Coping with the Polycrisis
During 2020-2022, Elissa led a webinar series featuring leading thought leaders and experts on coping with the polycrisis crises. The series launched in April, 2020, and being one of the earliest well being resources for healthcare providers early in the pandemic, was widely attended nationally. It brought together renowned voices including Esther Perel, Jack Saul, Roshi Joan Halifax, Rhonda Magee, Dan Siegel, Bessel van der Kolk, Eve Ekman, Resmaa Menakem, and other leading scientists and practitioners. Watch the recordings here, and note each webinar has free resource links on the original viewing page here:
Psychological Strategies for Acute Stress
Apr 3, 2020
Speakers: Eve Ekman, PhD, MSW
Elissa Epel, PhD
Daniel J. Siegel, MD
Psychological First Aid Strategies to Deal with Acute Stress
Apr 9, 2020
Supporting Our Youth: How to Survive and Thrive
Apr 24, 2020
Special Department Town Hall on Well-Being During COVID-19
May 8, 2020
Speakers:
Resilience to Traumatic Stress: When the Body Keeps the Score with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
May 22, 2020
Resilience and Regeneration
June 4, 2020
Building Institutional and Personal Resilience
Apr 23, 2021
Pandemic Burnout and Regeneration for Our New World: One Year Later
Jun 4, 2021
Well-Being of Youth and Young Adults
Aug 6, 2021
Psychedelics and Mental Health: The Science and the Practice
Oct 8, 2021
Building Stress Resilience in Ourselves and Our UCSF Community
Apr 7, 2020
Healing Moral Distress, Moral Outrage, & Reducing Burnout
Apr 17, 2020
Making Stress Work For You: Restoration Through Hormetic Stressors and Wim Hof Breathing
May 8, 2020
On the Front Lines: Compassion-Based Strategies with Thupten Jinpa, PhD
May 15, 2020
Relationships Under Shelter: Transforming Conflict to Harmony with Esther Perel
May 29, 2020
Building Your Emotional Toolbox During COVID-19
Nov 4, 2020
Pandemic Transitions: From Collective Grief to Joy
May 13, 2021
Anti-Racism and Building an Inclusive Culture
Jul 2, 2021
From Climate Stress to Activation: The Critical Role of the Health Professional
Sep 7, 2021
Understanding Racialized and Intergenerational Trauma
May 17, 2022