Dr. Steph Cacioppo, Ph.D.

From an evolutionary perspective, we are born to form social relationships. Our social environment includes relationships to others and to the groups to which we belong, our neighborhoods, the organization of our workplace, and the policies we create to order our lives.  In these groups, we sometimes form a special bond with a specific individual with whom we might have our own family and continue our genetic legacy. However, despite the fact the world population offers a gigantic pool of people with whom we could form a special bond, there are only a limited number of individuals with whom there is a reciprocated wish to establish a partnership. When meaningful, close, and healthy pair-bonds are sustained, the health benefits are immense. This myriad of beneficial effects for health takes place through different pathways e.g., neuronal, hormonal, cellular, and cardiovascular. The key to a successful, lasting interpersonal relationship with a significant other (work partner, confidant, spouse, and/or best friend) is, however, often elusive. Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo's ultimate goal is to identify the biomarkers of successful interpersonal dynamics and to develop predictive models of pre-conscious information processing in mental health and disease.