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Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.

Kelly McGonigal is a psychologist who works at the intersection of neuroscience and the latest advances in understanding the mind-body connection. Her specialty is discovering ways to apply new scientific findings to personal health and happiness.

Kelly’s insights have already changed the lives of hundreds of students in her Stanford University course The Science of Willpower. Now they’re about to change thousands more with her latest book, The Willpower Instinct. This exciting book collects the latest findings in psychology and neuroscience to explain the evolutionary and cognitive basis of willpower as well as the steps we can take to harness it.

Kelly’s unique background has allowed her to craft an approach to willpower that fuses scientific insight and cutting-edge research with a personal dedication to human well-being. She is Lecturer (in Management) for the Stanford Graduate School of Business and for the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, part of the School of Medicine’s Institute for Translational Neuroscience.

She is the former Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. Her scientific research has been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, while her work has been reported on by U.S. News and World Report, CNN.com, and the American Psychological Association’s Monitor on Psychology. She’s been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, MSNBC.com, Web MD, Time, Fitness, Women’s Health, and more. In 2010, Forbes named her one of the 20 most inspiring women to follow on Twitter.

Inspiring is definitely the word. Kelly’s winning, lively style makes the daunting task of reclaiming our lives seem within anyone’s grasp. It’s a message we’re confident will help you achieve your personal and professional goals — and live the life you really want to live. Watch her TED Talk: How to make stress your friend.