A Journey Toward Understanding Health
About Dr. Alan Rozanski
For more than four decades, my work has explored a question that sits at the intersection of medicine, psychology, and human flourishing:
What allows people not merely to survive, but to truly thrive?
I began my career as a cardiologist, but early on I became fascinated by a mystery that conventional medicine was only beginning to recognize: the powerful connection between the mind and the body.
As a young investigator, I conducted research demonstrating that psychological stress could directly impair heart function. At the time, these findings challenged traditional assumptions about cardiovascular disease and helped open new avenues of inquiry into the role of emotions, stress, and behavior in health. This work led to a two-year Sabbatical Fellowship supported by the MacArthur Foundation, during which I had the opportunity to collaborate with many of the nation’s leading behavioral medicine scientists. That experience profoundly shaped the direction of my career.
From Treating Disease to Understanding Health
Over the years, I have combined clinical practice, research, teaching, and leadership in academic medicine. My career has included founding a large Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiology program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and serving in a variety of leadership and educational roles at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West Hospitals in New York.
These experiences continually reinforced my interest in understanding not only how to treat disease, but also how to promote health and human flourishing.
Medicine has become extraordinarily effective at diagnosing and treating disease. But what creates positive health? What enables people to live with greater energy, resilience, purpose, fulfillment, and vitality?
The more I studied these questions, the more I became convinced that health could not be understood through physical factors alone.
What allows people not merely to survive, but to truly thrive?
The Six Domains of Health and Vitality
As my research evolved, I became increasingly convinced that health could not be understood through physical factors alone. Again and again, evidence pointed to the importance of our thoughts, emotions, relationships, sense of purpose, and ability to manage stress.
These insights ultimately led me to develop the Six Domains of Health and Vitality—a framework for understanding the factors that shape not only longevity and disease risk, but also our capacity to thrive.
Research, Education,
and Lifelong Learning
Throughout my career, I have authored or co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications and book chapters spanning cardiovascular medicine, behavioral medicine, preventive health, and human well-being.
Yet some of my most rewarding work has come through teaching—helping people connect scientific knowledge to the realities of everyday life.
I believe that the ultimate value of research lies not only in advancing knowledge, but in helping people live better lives.
Welcome
This website is dedicated to exploring the science and practice of health, vitality, resilience, and human flourishing.
My hope is that these resources will help you cultivate greater vitality, deepen your sense of purpose, strengthen your resilience, and ultimately create a healthier, richer, and more meaningful life.
Welcome, and thank you for joining me on this journey.
Contact Dr. Alan Rozanski
DISCLAIMER: I am unable to give out personalized medical advice. Please contact your healthcare provider directly if you have personal medical questions or seek emergency care.
