Famed psychologist Kurt Lewin stressed that human behavior is a function of both the person and the environment and is known as Lewin’s equation: Behavior = ƒ(Person, Environment). Understanding the relationship between individual psychological processing and environmental factors lies at the heart of Marc Berman’sresearch. In his research he utilizes brain imaging, computational neuroscience and statistical models to quantify the person, the environment and their interactions.Some of the findings from his lab include showing that brief interactions with natural environments (such as a walk in a park) can improve memory and attention by 20%. In addition, he and his collaborators have shown that more efficient brain networks are linked to enhanced self-control throughout the lifespan.
Berman was named a Rising Star by the American Psychological Society (APS) in 2013. Previously he was an assistant professor of psychology and cognitive neuroscience at the University of South Carolina.
Berman, who alsoserves as the director of the University’s Environmental Neuroscience Lab, received his PhD in psychology and industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan in 2010. He completed his post-doctoral training at the University of Toronto’s Rotman Research Institute.
