Alia Crum

Alia Crum is a psychologist and a professor at Stanford University who studies the powerful connection between our minds and bodies. She explores how our mindsets—or the beliefs we hold about something—can directly impact our health. Her research was among the first to show that mindsets can have real, physical effects. For example, she has shown that how a person thinks about their exercise or the food they eat can change how their body processes it. She also studies the placebo effect and argues that it’s not just a fake response to a fake treatment. Instead, she believes it shows that our mindsets and expectations are a real and powerful force impacting our physical health. As the director of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab, Alia leads a team of researchers who are working to better understand how our thoughts and beliefs can be used to improve our health and well-being. Her work is changing the way we think about everything from stress to diet, and is proving that the way we feel is directly impacted by the way we think.