Dr. Eric S. Kim is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is also a Visiting Scientist and Research Affiliate with the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness (at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), and the Human Flourishing Program (at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science).
Program of Research
His program of research aims to identify, understand, and intervene upon the dimensions of psychological well-being that reduce the risk of age-related conditions. This research also aims to understand the influence that the social environment has on the connection between psychological well-being and physical health. His research integrates perspectives from psychology (health, clinical, developmental, social, personality), gerontology, social epidemiology, biology, biostatistics, and translational science.
Population aging is one of the most important social trends of the 21st century. For example, in both Canada and the United States, the number of adults aged ≥65 is projected to increase by 45%-55% in the next 15 years. As societies grapple with the rising tide of chronic conditions, healthcare costs, and long-term care costs, it is imperative to develop a science that informs a more comprehensive approach to healthy aging. Dr. Kim’s overarching goal is to substantially help improve the psychological well-being and physical health of our rapidly growing population. In pursuit of this goal, Dr. Kim’s program of basic and translational research revolves around five interwoven questions.
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Are different dimensions of psychological well-being (e.g., sense of purpose in life, optimism) associated with reduced risk of age-related chronic conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment)?
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What are the mechanistic biobehavioral pathways that explain how psychological well-being influences health: 1) health behaviors such as physical activity, sleep, and diet, 2) biological pathways such as DNA methylation and inflammation, 3) stress-buffering?
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Our health is influenced by the social milieu in which we live, including stressful experiences at the individual (e.g., major disease diagnosis), household (e.g., death of a spouse), neighborhood (e.g., low neighborhood cohesion), and societal levels (e.g., social and racial disparities, economic shocks like the 2008 recession). Yet inadequate attention has been given to psychosocial assets that may buffer against these social adversities. Are dimensions of psychological well-being pathways through which social conditions shape people’s health, and do they foster resilience against these forces?
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From a translational science perspective, how might we partner with large non-profits and healthcare insurers to rigorously test and disseminate meaningful, durable, self-sustaining, population-level interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being and its potential downstream effects (e.g., lower physical and psychological morbidity, lower healthcare expenditures, and enhance prognosis if illness does strike)?
In the investigations described above, he used a variety of study designs and analytic tools including: population-based cohort studies, biostatistical causal inference methods, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, focus groups, and randomized controlled trials.
Where Our Work Has Been Published and Discussed
Dr. Kim has had the honor of working with incredible colleagues in a range of disciplines and has published papers in a variety of journals including: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, JAMA Psychiatry, Stroke, Circulation, Preventive Medicine, American Journal of Epidemiology, Psychosomatic Medicine, Health Psychology, and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Many of these studies have been featured in various news outlets including: the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, CBS News (Television Interview), BBC News (Radio Interview), NPR (Radio Interview), Time Magazine, and the Washington Post.
He’s given talks about his work at Universities (e.g., Harvard University, University of British Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, MIT), corporations (e.g., UnitedHealth Group, IDEO, AARP, Samsung), and he’s also been invited to speak at and join the working groups of national- and international-level think-tank working groups (e.g., United Nations, OECD, Aspen Ideas Festival, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The Task Force for Global Health, World Government Summit, National Academy of Sciences).
Funding and Recognitions
Dr. Kim has been supported by funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National, Heart, Lung, Blood, Institute (NHLBI), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and AARP. Dr. Kim was the recipient of a K99/R00 from NIH, the Horace H. Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, and the Telluride Association Scholarship. He was also recognized as one of Forbe’s 30 Under 30 in Healthcare (Top 30 Innovators Under the Age of 30), one of the Top 30 Thinkers Under the Age of 30 by Pacific Standard, a American Journal of Epidemiology’s Article the Year recipient, American Psychological Association Division 20 Springer Early Career Achievement Award, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Research Scholar, and an Association for Psychological Science (APS) Rising Star.
Please check his UBC faculty page or his Twitter account for additional information.