Launching Season 3 of the Frontiers in Health & Happiness Podcast
We’re excited to launch Season 3 of the Frontiers in Health and Happiness podcast with the debut of our new Virtues for Well-being series. Throughout the season, we’ll be interviewing leading experts on the virtues and emotional states that help people thrive—from purpose, empathy, and generosity to awe, mindfulness, joy, and more—and exploring what the latest science can teach us about living healthier, happier lives.
Our first episode features Dr. Victor Strecher, professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, founder and CEO of Kumanu, Inc., and a pioneer in the science of purpose and well-being. Drawing on decades of research and personal experience, Dr. Strecher explains how having a clear sense of purpose can improve physical and mental health, strengthen resilience, increase motivation, and help us navigate uncertainty in a rapidly changing world.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why purpose may be one of the most powerful drivers of health and well-being
- How purpose can help people navigate grief, uncertainty, and life’s biggest challenges
- What science tells us about purpose’s effects on longevity, mental health, and healthy aging
- How to discover what matters most in your own life
- Whether AI will diminish or enhance our ability to live purposeful lives
- Why cultivating a purpose that extends beyond ourselves may be key to both personal and societal flourishing
S3 E1 Promo Clip
New episodes will be released every two weeks. The next episode will air on Monday, June 22nd, and will feature Dr. Sara Konrath, a social psychologist and Director of the Interdisciplinary Program on Empathy and Altruism Research at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. Drawing on the latest research—including findings from the 2025 World Happiness Report—she will share actionable strategies for expressing empathy and generosity in healthy, effective, and sustainable ways.
