Nicholas Christakis

At-a-Glance

Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University, directing the Human Nature Lab and co-directing the Yale Institute for Network Science.
Leading international expert in biosocial science, network science, behavior genetics, and social artificial intelligence.
Author of 'Connected' (2009), the New York Times bestseller 'Blueprint' (2019), and 'Apollo’s Arrow' (2020), translated into over 20 languages.
Elected to the National Academy of Medicine (2006), American Association for the Advancement of Science (2010), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017), and National Academy of Sciences (2024).
Named to Time magazine's '100 most influential people in the world' (2009) and Foreign Policy's 'Top 100 Global Thinkers' (2009, 2010).
Holds a B.S. in biology from Yale (1984), M.D. from Harvard Medical School, M.P.H. from Harvard School of Public Health (1989), and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania (1995).

Biography

Nicholas A. Christakis is a distinguished social scientist and physician, currently holding the position of Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University. He directs the Human Nature Lab and serves as the Co-Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science. His extensive research spans biosocial science, network science, and behavior genetics, with a focus on the social, economic, biological, and evolutionary determinants of human welfare.