Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist and professor at Stanford University, specializes in understanding the mind-body connection. A pioneer in science-help, her mission is to translate concepts and ideas from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that help people's well-being and strengthen communities.
She is the author of The Willpower Instincs and The Upside of Stress. She is also known for her TED talk "How to Make Stress Your Friend," which is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time, with over 20 million views.
Through the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism, she has helped create Stanford's Cultivating Compassion Training, a program now taught around the world that helps others find strength in empathy, compassion and self-compassion.
In January 2020, Oprah Magazine celebrated her ability to "transform scientific data into wisdom" by naming McGonigal as the first O! Visionary, recognition given to people whose innovative vision of the world means a better future for all.
Her new book, The Joy of Movement, explores why physical exercise is a powerful antidote to modern epidemics such as depression, anxiety and loneliness.