The Institute of Health Resilience and Innovation is dedicated to understanding why some people thrive as they age despite adversity, and translating that understanding into interventions that help more people do the same.
Health resilience is the capacity to adapt and maintain well-being in the face of chronic stress, loss, and physical change. It is both measurable and modifiable. Our mission is to identify the biological signatures of accelerated aging early enough to intervene, develop scalable resilience interventions that change health trajectories, and reduce age-related health disparities in our communities.
We break down traditional boundaries between biology, behavior, and society. Drawing on social and affective neuroscience, we examine how emotions, relationships, and social experiences shape brain function and biological aging. By tracing how chronic stress, racism, relationship quality, and neighborhood conditions become embedded in the body over time, we bridge molecular science with social systems to address health challenges holistically. Harnessing the power of AI and digital health technologies, we develop innovative approaches that deliver personalized, real-time resilience support. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and deep community partnerships, we ensure that our work reflects the real needs of diverse populations and translates into programs that improve lives, not just publications in journals.
The need has never been greater. As life expectancies extend, more people will face the adversities of aging: caregiving burden, bereavement, chronic illness, and social isolation. But successful aging is possible. IHRI exists to make it accessible to all.