Each year, Time names the 100 most influential people in the world, and this year, HCP’s own Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH made the cut. Christakis was chosen as one of the top 20 scientists and thinkers from a plethora of worthy contenders. He earned this honor for his series of studies on social networks and well-being. In one study, “Dynamic Spread of Happiness in a Large Social Network: Longitudinal Analysis Over 20 Years in the Framingham Heart Study,” Christakis and his colleague, James Fowler (at UCSD), investigated a large social network originally based in Framingham, Massachusetts, and found that people who are surrounded with happy people will become happier and in turn spread the good vibe for up to three degrees of separation. Also, Christakis has found that smoking and obesity can be socially infectious. Not only is Christakis a widely published scientist, but he finds time to oversee Pforzheimer House at Harvard College. To read more in Time, see the following link.