Heather Berlin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heather Berlin
Berlin speaking in 2014
Born	Heather A. Berlin June 20, 1975 New York, New York, U.S.
Other names	Heather Berlin
Alma mater	Magdalen College, University of Oxford (DPhil) Harvard University (MPH)
Spouse(s)	Baba Brinkman (2013-2024)
Awards	Young Investigator Award American Neuropsychiatric Association Clifford Yorke Prize International Neuropsychoanalysis Society
Scientific career
Fields	Neuroscience Psychology Science Communication
Institutions	Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medicine
Thesis	Impulsivity, the orbitofrontal cortex and borderline personality disorder (2003)
Doctoral advisors	Susan Iversen Edmund Rolls

Dr. Heather A. Berlin is an American neuroscientist and a licensed clinical psychologist. This means she studies the brain and also helps people with their thoughts and feelings. She is well-known for explaining science to the public.

Her research looks at how our brains affect our behavior. She focuses on understanding and treating problems where people act on impulse or have strong, repeated urges. Dr. Berlin is also curious about how we become aware of things (consciousness), how our minds work without us even knowing it, and where new ideas come from (creativity).

You might have seen Dr. Berlin on TV. She has hosted shows like the PBS Nova series Your Brain and Science Goes to the Movies. She also appeared on the Discovery Channel series Superhuman Showdown and StarTalk All-Stars with Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Education and Early Life

Heather Berlin was born in New York City. She went to many different universities to study the brain and how people think.

She earned her highest degree, a doctorate, in experimental psychology and neuropsychology from the University of Oxford in England. She was a student at Magdalen College, Oxford. She also got a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University. There, she focused on how mental health issues spread in groups of people and how healthcare is managed.

Before that, she earned a Master's degree in psychology from The New School for Social Research. Her first degree, a Bachelor of Science, was from Stony Brook University.

Career and Research

Throughout her career, Dr. Berlin has taught students in the United States and other countries. She is currently a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has also taught at Vassar College and visited the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.

Internationally, she was a visiting lecturer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research has been published in many important science journals.

As both a clinical psychologist and a neuroscientist, Dr. Berlin divides her time. She helps patients in her private practice. She also conducts research to learn more about the brain.

In her practice, she helps people improve their overall well-being. Her research looks at the brain's role in impulsive, compulsive, and anxiety disorders. She also studies consciousness, unconscious processes, and creativity.

Dr. Berlin often uses special brain scanning methods like fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). These tools help her see how the brain works. She has also been involved in studies testing new medicines and even a treatment called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Dr. Berlin is very passionate about sharing science with everyone. She also works to reduce the negative feelings people have about mental illness. She supports women who want to work in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). She is part of important committees that help connect science with the public.

She has also co-written and performed in stage shows. These include Off the Top, which was about the neuroscience of improvisation. She also had a show called Impulse Control. Dr. Berlin has appeared in many media outlets, including Netflix (The Mind, Explained), BBC World Service, and StarTalk Radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson. She has also given talks for TEDx.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Berlin has received many awards and fellowships for her work. These include:

• Young Investigator Award from the American Neuropsychiatric Association.
• Young Investigator Award from the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder.
• Clifford Yorke Prize from the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society.

She also won the BBC's Christmas University Challenge as part of the Magdalen College, Oxford team.

Personal Life

Heather Berlin has a daughter, born in November 2013. She also has a son, born in November 2016. Their father is Baba Brinkman, a rap artist and science communicator.