Topics I work with
I help individuals and organizations make sense of happiness and well-being through evidence-based research, analysis, and education.
My work focuses on how happiness and well-being are understood, measured, and supported in real life — including workplace well-being, evidence-based habits and interventions, financial choices and well-being, relationships, health, autonomy, time use, and living and working environments.
Interested in collaboration, a talk, research support, or an evidence-based discussion? Use the contact form below and briefly describe your goal, context, and timeline.
Now published by Springer
The Science of Happiness: Definitions, Distinctions and Evidence-Based Pathways to Well-Being is now available as an eBook from Springer.
The hardcover edition is scheduled for June 2026, and the softcover edition for June 2027.
The book offers a research-based synthesis of happiness definitions, well-being measurement, determinants, and evidence-based pathways to well-being.
Book Series
Happy by Science
Happy by Science is an evolving series that examines the scientific foundations of happiness and well-being. Book One draws from over a thousand academic sources to clarify what happiness truly is, weaving together historical perspectives, philosophical debates, and contemporary research. Book Two focuses on wellness as a dynamic, multifaceted concept, illustrating how physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions intersect. Book Three explores flow, the “optimal experience” popularized by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, explaining how matching challenge and skill can foster meaningful engagement and personal growth.
Future volumes will continue to broaden our understanding of what it takes to live a truly flourishing life—offering research-based insights grounded in rigorous academic inquiry.
Projects
Happiness Descriptors in Research: A Five-Level Conceptual Taxonomy and Coverage Assessment
May 1, 2025–May 31, 2026
A research project that developed a five-level taxonomy of how descriptors specify “happiness” in scholarly literature. The project examined how modifiers such as subjective, workplace, sustainable, authentic, and professional clarify construct meaning, measurement, scope, context, and interpretation, and assessed how well the taxonomy captured descriptor use in recent Web of Science records.
The Science of Happiness: Definitions, Distinctions & Evidence-Based Pathways to Well-Being
February 7, 2023–December 19, 2025
A research project synthesizing definitions of happiness, distinctions from many related concepts, measurement issues, determinants, and evidence-based pathways to well-being.
Full list of projects.
Aleksandr Michelson, PhD
Aleksandr Michelson is the Founder & Research Director of Happy by Science. He holds a PhD in Economics with a specialization in Business, and his work centers on a key question: what drives well-being—at individual, organizational, and societal levels?
With years of applied research for policy-making—much of it in a think tank context—he has worked across entrepreneurship, social policy, employment, education, culture, and health. His work connects research from economics and the social sciences with practical analysis that supports public decisions and organizational strategy.
At Happy by Science, Michelson brings this multidisciplinary perspective to a central theme: how happiness and well-being can be understood (and measured) through science, and how evidence can be translated into practical insight.
You can view my publications and research experience here: Publications & research record.
Contact me
Whether you’re exploring your own well-being goals or contacting me for a project, training, or research collaboration, feel free to use the contact form below. Tell me what you need and your timeframe, and I’ll respond as soon as I can.
Tallinn, Estonia · Working globally (online) · Happy by Science OÜ