News

Ethan Kross, Ph.D., accomplished researcher, internationally known speaker, and professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, has been named Research Innovation Core faculty lead for the Eisenberg Family Depression Center.

“Dr. Kross brings vibrant ideas, strong communication skills and a strategic mind to his new role facilitating research innovation in the field of mental health.” said Srijan Sen, M.D., Ph.D., EFDC director. “He is an outstanding researcher, teacher and writer. We are thrilled to have him lead our Research Innovation team."

Kross currently serves as director of the Emotion and Self-Control Lab at U-M, which explores how people can control their emotions to improve our understanding of how self-control works and to discover ways of enhancing self-control in daily life. He is also a professor of Management & Organizations for the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and will assume the position of chair of the Social Psychology area of the Psychology department on July 1.

The EFDC Research Innovation Core ignites groundbreaking research programs and fosters interdisciplinary collaborations through funding and services to activate investigators’ creative potential. The Core’s work focuses on supporting under-represented investigators, those working in large teams, and those at the frontiers of inventive mental health research. In his new role, Kross will develop and guide strategic planning for current and future Core programs and identify opportunities to partner with other groups/institutions both on and off campus.

Kross has become one of the world’s leading experts in exploring emotion, self-control and the “inner voice” within us. His research on controlling the conscious mind and emotions has been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Science and more. During his career, he has contributed to more than 100 journal articles and book chapters.

His internationally bestselling book, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why it Matters, and How to Harness It, was chosen as one of the best new books of the year by the Washington Post, CNN and USA Today. It also was the Winter 2021 selection for the Next Big Idea Book Club, curated by thought leaders Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain and Dan Pink.

“I find few activities more exciting than working collaboratively to identify innovative solutions to pressing mental health issues,” said Kross. “As the new faculty lead for Research Innovation, I’ll be working with a cadre of like-minded individuals to develop novel, game-changing solutions to mental health problems that plague society. I can’t wait to get started.”

Kross received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University and joined the University of Michigan faculty in 2008.