Dr. Kate Wolin

For more than 20 years I’ve combined behavioral medicine, user-centered design, and outcomes science to build health behavior change that actually works. My mix of academic and commercial experience threads the needle between evidence-based approaches and commercialization. Forbes named me an innovator changing the face of healthcare; Crain’s, a notable woman in STEM.

I can both read the literature and ship the product. The two rarely live in the same person.

Building and leading

I’m the founder of Circea, where I consult with a wide range of companies on integrating behavioral science into product strategy — to drive adoption, create a more personalized experience, and extend engagement in service of better results. I’m also an advisor at PACE Healthcare Capital, which invests in early-stage digital health companies.

I was CEO and co-founder of ScaleDown, a clinically proven weight-loss program built on the science of self-regulation and daily self-weighing, acquired by Anthem, Inc. I co-founded Coeus Health, which translated research-tested wellness programs into the real world and was awarded an SBIR by NIDDK to build a white-labelable, evidence-based weight-management program. I served as Chief Science Officer and a member of the executive leadership team at a private-equity-backed employer health company, leading the product, clinical, and data science teams, and I previously led Product for Optum’s Direct-to-Consumer business. I was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Chicago.

Teaching and mentoring

I teach entrepreneurship at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where I was previously faculty lead for the Zell Fellows Entrepreneurial Fellowship. I mentor in the UnitedHealthcare Accelerator and Northwell’s Maven program, and I’m a member of the Women’s Health Innovation Council at Springboard. I also serve on the board of Prismatic, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching Chicago youth the skills to advance, lead, and pivot with resilience.

The science

I spent my early career conducting academic research at the intersection of lifestyle behaviors and chronic-disease outcomes. I built an international reputation — generating more than $4 million in federal research funding and contributing to over 75 peer-reviewed publications and numerous books. I served on the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis / Siteman Cancer Center and Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine.

I was part of the leadership group that developed the first clinical exercise guidelines for cancer survivors and contributed to the first validated disease-risk assessment tools, and I was a frequent presenter on the science of prevention in community settings and national news media. I continue to serve on NIH Study Sections, scientific advisory panels, and national research committees.

Education

I earned my bachelor’s in anthropology from Tufts University, summa cum laude, and my doctorate in epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health — with minors in biostatistics and health behavior — where I was an NCI pre-doctoral fellow. I completed an NCI post-doctoral fellowship in cancer epidemiology in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University.

The approach → · How I work → · Selected publications → · Selected media →

Find me on LinkedIn and Substack.