Richard P. Sloan, Ph.D.

Richard P. Sloan is Professor of Behavioral Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.  He holds a BS degree from Union College and a PhD from the New School for Social Research.

Dr. Sloan’s principal work focuses on identifying the mechanisms linking psychological risk factors such as depression, hostility, and anxiety to heart disease.  His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the New York Heart Association, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control.  He has published extensively in this area. 

For the past 10 years, he and his colleagues have examined the claims that religious practices are good for your health.  His work in this area has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and other prominent medical journals.  

Dr. Sloan’s work has been featured on the Today Show, All Things Considered, Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly, and The Paula Zahn Show among others.  His work has been discussed in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Nature News, and many other newspapers and magazines.