Nicholas Christakis

Nicholas Christakis is an internationally renowned medical sociologist and physician at Yale University. He is best known for his pioneering research in social networks, public health and aging with his wife and collaborator, Professor Erika Christakis. His work has shed light on the way that we interact with and influence each other, and how our behavior impacts our health, wellbeing and society.

Christakis was born in Leukosia, Cyprus, in 1965. He was educated at the University of Crete, and later at the University of Cambridge where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology. He went on to the University of Chicago, where he completed his doctorate in sociology. In 1995, he joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School, where he has been ever since.

Christakis is a leading thinker on the subject of social networks and their implications for health and well-being. He has written and edited more than 10 books, some of which are co-authored with his wife Erika Christakis, and hundreds of articles and essays for national and international publications. He has earned multiple awards for his work, including a National Academy of Sciences Dr. Nathan shock award for advances in health promotion and disease prevention research, a 2010 MacArthur Fellowship, and a 2019 Ruth and Frank Moore & Public Health Prize, to name a few.

His 1994 book, Connected, explores how social networks influence health and behavior. He has also written extensively about how social networks can shape public policy. His 2010 TED Talks, “The Health Risks of Social Isolation” and “The New Science of Human Bonds” have received more than three million views.

Christakis’s most recent book, Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live, studies the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Published in 2020, it looks at the global impact of the virus, and its implications for areas such as healthcare, technology and education. He also explores what this means for citizens and societies in the future, particularly in terms of our politics and personal freedoms.

Christakis also serves on the boards of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, World Economic Forum Global Future Council, World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council, and the National Advisory Council on Aging. In addition, he is a member of the National Academies of Science Health and Medicine Division.

Nicholas Christakis’s work has had a major influence on our understanding of social networks. His cutting-edge research and highly readable books have helped us to understand how our behavior affects our health, public policy and society. His work continues to guide our understanding of the implications of the coronavirus pandemic, and points the way forward to a healthier, more just and more equitable world.