“I expected social rank to be the determining factor in health, and in some ways that's true. But far more important is what sort of society that rank occurs in. Being low ranking in a benevolent troop is a hell of a lot better for your blood pressure than being low ranking in an aggressive troop.”

American academic, neuroscientist, and primatologist

Robert Morris Sapolsky is an American academic, neuroscientist, and primatologist. He is the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor at Stanford University and a professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery. His work focuses on neuroendocrinology, especially the biology of stress. He is also a research associate with the National Museums of Kenya, reflecting a career that links laboratory science with long-term study of primates and their behavior.