Along with similar studies of spouses of those with chronic dementia and in people who suffered early trauma, the results were clear: the more chronic stress one suffered, the shorter one’s telomeres. Elizabeth H. Blackburn, a pioneer in the study of telomeres—the ends of chromosomes, which play a role in aging and cancer—has always taken the unexpected path.

Understanding the Context

Growing up in a family of physicians in Tasmania, Australia, she chose to enter medical research rather than medicine. "Chronic stress appears to have the potential to shorten the life of cells, at least immune cells," lead author Elissa Epel of the University of California at San Francisco said in a statement. "The results were striking," added co-author Elizabeth Blackburn, also of UCSF.