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
Association for Psychological Science’s Janet Taylor Spence Award given to Professor Berman for transformative early career contributions
For his "transformative early career contributions to psychological science," Professor Berman has received the Association for Psychological Science's Janet Taylor Spence Award. The award is given to those who are rising in the field of psychology as creative and...
Ph.D. student Kathryn Schertz presents talk at Center for Practical Wisdom Research Forum about environmental influences on thought content
One of our lab's Ph.D. students, Kathryn Schertz, presented a talk based on her recent study, "A thought in the park: The influence of naturalness and low-level visual features on expressed thoughts," at the University of Chicago's Center for Practical Wisdom Research...
Professor Berman awarded Neubauer Faculty Development Fellowship for excellence in teaching and mentorship
Professor Berman has been awarded the 2017-2018 J. and J. Neubauer Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of Chicago. This fellowship is given to Assistant and Associate Professors who are effective and innovative in their teaching and mentorship. The Dean...