Elliot Friedman

Courtesy Appointments

Department of Psychological Sciences

Areas of Expertise

• Healthy aging
• Biopsychosocial integration
• Psychological well-being
• Sleep

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

• Developmental Health and Wellness
• Healthy Lifestyles and Vital Longevity

Department of Human Development and Family Science Research Area(s)

• Health and Well-Being
• Interpersonal Relations

Biography

Dr. Elliot Friedman is the William and Sally Berner Hanley Professor of Gerontology in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. He is fundamentally interested in biological processes related to health and how they are shaped by psychological and social experiences. His research draws from diverse fields, including biology, psychology, sociology, and epidemiology. As a graduate student he sought interdisciplinary training in psychoneuroimmunology, including grounding in neuroscience, immunology, and psychology, and developed a program of research focused on biological pathways mediating bidirectional communication between the brain and the immune system. A central focus of this research was pro-inflammatory proteins, such as interleukin-1, and their role in behavioral changes that attend illness, including sleep. A growing interest in social context spurred him to pursue additional training in population health through the Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholars Program. His current work centers on biological processes, behavior, and health outcomes associated with positive psychological functioning in aging adults. This line of research retains a focus on inflammation and sleep as important pathways linking psychological and social processes to health outcomes. Finally, recent collaborative efforts with community partners have led to the development of a promising intervention designed to promote psychological well-being in older adults. Underlying these efforts is a desire to understand the ways in which influences in multiple domains interact to predict better health in aging adults.

Accepting graduate student applications for the December 1, 2024 deadline.

Education

• PhD, 1993, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Social Media Accounts

• Blue Sky

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• HDFS Departmental DEI committee

Current Courses

• HDFS 210 - Introduction to Human Development
• HDFS 312 - Adult Development
• HDFS 606 - Advanced Human Development
• HDFS 649 - Multidisciplinary Gerontology

Selected Honors/Awards

• Fellow, Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine - March, 2024
• Outstanding Professor, Center on Aging and the Life Course - September, 2017
• Fellow, Gerontological Society of America - November, 2014
• Seed for Success, Purdue University - November, 2013

Selected Grants

• Co-Investigator, Disparities in Life Course Origins of Cognitive Decline, National Institute on Aging (R01 AG068388), Kenneth Ferraro (PI), Period: 07/01/2020 - 06/30/2023. Total: $675,256
• Principal Investigator, Living Well with Multimorbidity: A Biopsychosocial Approach, National Institute on Aging (R01 AG041759). Period: 06/15-2012 - 05/31/18. Total: $1,203,126
• Co-Investigator, The REST Study: A Longitudinal, Bidirectional Examination of Retirement and Sleep, National Institute on Aging (R01 AG036838), Paul Peppard (PI). Period: 08/01/10 - 06/30/15. Total: $2,543,078
• Principal Investigator, Psychosocial Functioning and Inflammation: An Integrative Analysis, National Institute on Aging (K01 AG029381). Period: 08/15/07 - 07/31/12

Professional Affiliations

• Gerontological Society of America
• American Psychosomatic Society
• International Association for Population Health Science