Kitayama will draw on three decades of empirical research in cultural psychology and neuroscience to write a book that argues that the human mind is shaped and transformed by social and cultural contexts, rather than biology. He will explore how different socio-cultural environments influence the relationship between peoples’ subjective, psychological health and their objective, biological health. He will also study how culture, social class, and other factors affect individuals’ cognition, motivation, emotions, and perceptions of the self.