Howard S. Friedman

Distinguished Professor of Psychology
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
Office Phone: (951) 827-3672
Lab Phone: (951) 827-5237
Howard.Friedman@ucr.edu

ABOUT PROFESSOR FRIEDMAN: Howard S. Friedman is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. His scientific work on health and longevity has drawn wide attention in the scientific community and has been featured in popular media worldwide. For three decades, Dr. Friedman has studied personality predictors of longevity, developing a scientific understanding of the “disease-prone personality” and the “self-healing personality.”

In 2008, the Association for Psychological Science (APS) awarded him the James McKeen Cattell Fellow award, citing his research and ideas that are “changing how we think about the nature of health.” Dr. Friedman is also the recipient of the career award for “Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology” from the American Psychological Association (Div. 38). Professor Friedman is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); the American Psychological Association (APA); and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

His newest book is: The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study. NY: Hudson Street Press. Based on the most extensive study of longevity ever conducted, The Longevity Project shows what really impacts our health and lifespan—including friends, family, personality patterns, and work. It also discusses life expectancy and includes quizzes that can be used as a longevity calculator.

Dr. Friedman is the Editor of the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. His research on nonverbal expressiveness and personal charisma has been widely applied in health promotion, leadership training, medical education, and viral marketing.

His books include: Foundations of Health Psychology (Oxford 2007; named an “Outstanding Academic Title” by Choice); The Self-Healing Personality: Why Some People Achieve Health and Others Succumb to Illness (Henry Holt 1991; iUniverse 2000; reprinted in French and German); Health Psychology (Prentice Hall, 2002); and Hostility, Coping, and Health (American Psychological Association, 1992). He was Editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Mental Health (Academic Press, 1998; named a “Best Reference Source of 1998” from Library Journal).

Professor Friedman is also known for his textbooks: Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research 5/e (Pearson, 2012) and The Personality Reader (Allyn and Bacon, 2008). He has received UCR's Distinguished Teaching Award, as well as the Outstanding Teacher award from the Western Psychological Association (WPA). In 2012, he was awarded the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Trust prize "for inspiring students to make a difference in the community." See http://newsroom.ucr.edu/2829.

A magna cum laude graduate of Yale University, Friedman received his doctorate from Harvard University, where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. For further information about current scientific research in the Friedman lab, please follow the appropriate links.