Meet Stephen
“Bring in the stars of positive psychology, like Stephen Post.” —Marty Seligman, Founder of Positive Psychology and author of Flourish
Stephen G. Post, PhD, is among the world’s leading scholars on altruism, love, compassion, and the science of giving. He is a best-selling author, professor of preventive medicine, and Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. His work bridges science, medicine, spirituality, psychology, and ethics with a mission to understand how unselfish love given and received heals, uplifts, and transforms individuals both young and old. Post is the President of the non-profit Institute for Research on Pure Unlimited Love, a role for which he was personally selected by the philanthropist Sir John Templeton. Post served on the Board of the John Templeton Foundation (2008–2014), which focuses on positive psychology and the dialogue between science and spirituality.
His groundbreaking book, The Moral Challenge of Alzheimer Disease was recognized as a “medical classic of the 20th century” by the British Medical Journal. He is also the author of the best-selling Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life by the Simple Act of Giving (with Jill Neimark). Dr. Post has held leadership roles at Case Western Reserve University Medical School (1988–2008) and Stony Brook, where his program is ranked among the top ten nationally. Post has authored over 400 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has been interviewed by leading newspapers around the world. He is an elected member of the Philadelphia College of Physicians, the New York Academy of Medicine, and the Royal Society of Medicine, as well as a Founding Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion at Cambridge University. Dr. Post has received numerous honors, including from the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Society and World Literature Canada. He resides on Long Island, New York, and in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dr. Post is internationally recognized for his work with “deeply forgetful people,” their families and allied organizations. His research on the dynamics of compassionate care and positive psychology in the lives of persons with dementia and their caregivers resulted in his being elected a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of Alzheimer’s Disease International. He is also a recipient of the Alzheimer’s Association national distinguished service award “in recognition of personal and professional outreach to the Alzheimer’s Association Chapters on ethics issues important to people with Alzheimer’s and their families.” In Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022) he offers insights and perspectives that encourage us all to recognize the continuing self-identity and dignity of affected individuals, and understand how best to communicate with them.
Post is the author of numerous articles in international newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Parade Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, and has appeared on many TV programs including The Daily Show. He is the author of over 300 articles in premier journals in science, medicine, and humanities. These include Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Hospital Pediatrics, The Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and The Journal of Clinical Ethics.
His newest book, Pure Unlimited Love: Science and the Seven Paths to Inner Peace (Morehouse Publishing November 2025) offers a scientific and spiritual framework to foster inner peace and create a positive global impact.
Holding his PhD degree with distinction from the University of Chicago in psychology, world religions, and ethics, Post is renowned for his work on compassionate care at the interface of science, spiritual reflection, and behavioral medicine.
stephengpost.com
unlimitedloveinstitute.org
stonybrook.edu/bioethics
Dr. Stephen Post Highlights
- Best-Selling Author: Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Happier, Healthier Life by the Simple Act of Giving
- Professor of Preventive Medicine and Bioethics—Stony Brook University
- Director and Founder of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care—Stony Brook University
- Former Professor in the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and a Senior Research Scholar at the Becket Institute of St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University
- Member of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the New York Academy of Medicine, and the Royal Society of Medicine, London
- President of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love
- Recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the national Alzheimer’s Association
- Recipient of the Pioneer Medal for Outstanding Leadership in HealthCare from the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network of America
- Recipient of the Kama Book Award in Medical Humanities from World Literacy Canada