INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC BOARD
Our Leadership
Michelle Lim, Ph.D.
GILC Co-Founder &
GILC ISB Vice Chair
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D.
Board Member &
GILC ISB Chair
Our
Purpose
Mission: To guide and advance research on social connection, or lack thereof (e.g., loneliness, isolation, social negativity) and their impact on global health, well-being, and longevity.
Vision: The ISB envisions a world where meaningful social connections enhance well-being and create resilient communities, with a mission to bridge research and practice, promote evidence-based interventions, and influence policy to increase social connection globally.
Inclusion: The ISB is committed to inclusivity, ensuring that approaches are responsive to diverse cultural contexts and perspectives and prioritizing approaches that reduce disparities/inequity.
Key Objectives:
Advance Research: Support innovative interdisciplinary research to explore the psychological, neurological, and public health mechanisms of social connection.
Promote Evidence-Based Interventions: Develop and test culturally sensitive interventions to address social isolation and loneliness across different populations, ensuring these can be replicated globally. Promote pre-registration, registered reports, and data sharing.
Foster Collaboration: Build transdisciplinary partnerships globally, particularly between higher-income countries (HICs) and lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs), to address research gaps and promote knowledge exchange.
Influence Policy: Advocate for the integration of research on social connection into public policy at both local and global levels.
Enhance Accessibility: Ensure that interventions are accessible and inclusive, particularly for marginalized groups.
Measure and Monitor: Establish metrics to track social connectedness at a population level and continuously assess the impact of interventions.
What We Offer
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