How stress affects us on a molecular level—and how joy can help “lighten the load”
We all worry about how stress affects us, but did you know it can harm your health down at the molecular level? Stress can contribute to chronic disease, so learning how to manage stress—lighten your “allostatic load”—can dramatically improve your health. Dr. Crystal Clark offers advice on dealing with chronic stress, and how positive experiences like sharing joy, acts of gratitude, even laughter, can reduce your allostatic load.
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Crystal L. Clark, MD, MPH, FCCP is Chief Medical Officer for UPMC Community HealthChoices and Senior Advisor to the UPMC Center for Social Impact. Dr. Clark designed and executed the “Better Food, Better Health” pilot, a $2M Food as Medicine initiative. Her previous roles include Medical Director for Fedcap Inc., where she oversaw clinical services for New York City’s WeCARE program, and Founding Director of the Connecticut Institute for Primary Care Innovation, where she launched innovative models for primary care redesign.
Dr. Clark’s academic appointments include Assistant Professor roles at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Yale School of Nursing, and Temple University. She holds an MD from the University of Louisville, an MPH in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University, and multiple advanced certifications in health care leadership, mediation, and patient safety. She is licensed in New York and Pennsylvania and maintains active board certification through 2027.
