Ming Kuo

Ming Kuo, an environmental psychologist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, shares her research on how nature affects our health. Discover why spending time under trees can reduce disease and increase happiness. She emphasizes the importance of urban greenery and its surprising benefits, like lower COVID-19 rates and enhanced immune function. The conversation is lively and relatable, touching on the challenges of keeping houseplants alive while highlighting how nature truly nurtures our well-being.

Professor Ming Kuo discusses the science behind nature's impact on immune system and mental health. Topics include mood-boosting microbes, aromatic plant chemicals, and the lasting effects of nature on stress levels and well-being.

If you live in a big city, you may have noticed new buildings popping up — a high-rise here, a skyscraper there. The concrete jungles that we've built over the past century have allowed millions of us to live in close proximity, and modern economies to flourish. But what have we given up by moving away from the forest environments in which humans first evolved? This week, we revisit our 2018 conversation about the healing power of nature with psychologist Ming Kuo.