Regulating stress effectively has a profound impact on our well-being and is known to be significantly interrelated to our social connections, as well as healthy lifestyle behaviors. However, the complex mechanisms through which these components are associated with maintaining well-being remain enigmatic.

In the next years, I want to investigate the different associations within a theoretically interrelated framework that we just developed. In this framework, the maintenance of brain health assumes a central role. This involves the adaptive functionality of neural circuits associated with regulating emotions, self-control, and the ability to derive pleasure from rewards or enjoyable experiences. I want to explore how different dimensions of social connections directly impact stress regulation, or indirectly through brain health. Furthermore, I want to investigate how lifestyle choices indirectly affect stress regulation, mediated by their impact on brain health.