There's a lot of talk about exercise, nutrition and sleep when it comes to staying healthy, but there's rarely talk about social connection. Yet, decades of research show that loneliness has real, measurable effects on the body, from increased inflammation and stress hormones to higher risks of heart disease, cognitive decline and early mortality.

In this talk, Dr. Donna Mayeda will unpack the science behind why feeling connected matters so much to our health, how modern life can quietly push us toward isolation, and why loneliness isn’t a personal failing but a biological signal. She'll take us through an evidence-based perspective for why human connection is a foundational and often overlooked component of wellbeing.