Stories of Impact
Stories of Impact
Three-time American Writing Awards Podcast of the Year: In every episode, we travel the world and dive deep into the intersection of science, spirituality, and mindfulness. Every first and third Tuesday of the month, writer Tavia Gilbert and journalist Richard Sergay bring you a new conversation that offers uplifting explorations about the art and science of human flourishing.
July 20, 2026

Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas: What Can Heal Widespread Loneliness

Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas: What Can Heal Widespread Loneliness

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. In our last episode, we heard about the positive effects of coming together and sharing a meal. But for millions of Americans, that rarely happens. In fact, some 20 million people in the US today say they don’t have any friends. So how do we solve this loneliness epidemic? How do we heal widespread loneliness? Today, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, who studies just that.

Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas is the Science Director at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which tracks cutting edge research studies that focus on how important our relationships, our tendency towards generosity and cooperation, and our sense of mattering or contribution to our communities are to our health and wellbeing over the course of our lives. She wants to understand the science of loneliness.