The Environmental Neuroscience Lab at the University of Chicago
is interested in how the physical environment affects the brain and behavior. Previous findings from the ENL show that brief interactions with natural environments (such as walks in a park) can improve memory and attention by 20%. Studies in our lab have examined how interacting with natural environments promotes these improvements, investigating brain networks that underlie the relationship between environment and behavior. We hope to further understand which features of the natural environment lead to improvements in memory and attention as well as identify other manipulations that increase brain efficiency. Our current research examines how physical and social characteristics of urban spaces –including social cohesion, physical disorder, heat, and greenspace– (1) affect interactions between individuals in different neighborhoods and (2) relate to crime. In pursuit of this question, we are using deep learning approaches to analyze large set of social networking, image, and video data from sources including Twitter, Reddit, Yelp, Google Street View, and Sage. With a better understanding and quantification of the relationships between the brain, behavior, and the environment, we hope our research will influence the design of physical spaces in ways that will optimize human mental health, physical health, and overall well-being.
![Lab_photo](https://voices.uchicago.edu/bermanlab/files/2017/01/Lab_photo.jpg)
NEWS
Professor Berman and Ph.D. student Kate Schertz win first place and grand prize in UChicago’s App Challenge with their app, ReTUNE, which will create more restorative pedestrian experiences
In the summer of 2017, Professor Marc Berman and then-incoming Ph.D. student Kate Schertz were among the 4 of 66 UChicago App Challenge submission groups to be awarded 100 programming hours from developers in UChicago's IT Services. Since then, they worked to develop...
Podcast: How trees make people happier and healthier
Andrew Bauld of the University of Chicago podcast, Knowledge Applied, interviewed Professor Berman, who gave an overview of the Environmental Neuroscience Lab's research on the benefits of nature. This episode, "The Psychology of Trees," is approximately 13 minutes...
Professors Talen and Berman connect urban planning and environmental neuropsychology while discussing current issues of city life
Professor Berman recently spoke with Emily Talen, who is a former urban planner, current Professor of Urbanism, and current Director of the Urbanism Lab at UChicago. Through Dialogo, the Social Science Division's news publication, they discussed urban design &...