Harvard University · Social ScienceKubzansky Lab
Laura D Kubzansky · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Laura Kubzansky's lab at Harvard focuses on how psychological factors, especially optimism, affect cognitive health as we age. The team uses large, diverse populations to examine whether a positive outlook can help reduce cognitive decline and improve health outcomes in older adults. They explore connections between optimism, physical activity, and even the gut microbiome, looking for new ways to enhance well-being and resilience in the face of aging-related cognitive challenges.
optimismcognitive healthAgingAlzheimer's diseasephysical activitygut microbiomepsychological resiliencehealthspancognitive declineintervention research
Research Aims
4AIM 01Investigate the relationship between optimism and cognitive health outcomes among older adults.
AIM 02Examine cognitive performance through smartphone assessments in a natural environment.
AIM 03Explore the link between physical activity and optimism using accelerometer data.
AIM 04Analyze gut microbiome data to discover biological pathways linking optimism to health.
Skills the Lab Values
data collectioncognitive testingmobile application developmentaccelerometer usagemetagenomic analysisstatistical analysiscohort study methodologiesdata harmonizationbehavioral intervention designlongitudinal study design
Output against the department
Publications620top 5% of dept.3rd of 77
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations36ktop 4% of dept.3rd of 77
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.