Michaela Simpson, PhD

Michaela Simpson, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at the NeuroLeadership Institute, where she translates social and neuroscience research to organizational challenges; creates science-informed learning solutions to those challenges, including research summaries and journal articles; and serves as a subject matter expert on topics such as growth mindset, speaking up in the face of questionable behavior, and power dynamics in organizations.

In her doctoral studies, Dr. Simpson investigated the effects of neurodegenerative diseases on emotional functioning. Research pursuits included studies of how neurodegenerative diseases impact sexuality and intimacy in marital relationships and spouse caregiver well-being; emotion recognition across multiple sensory modalities and its relationship to behavior and the brain; and the biological bases of prosocial behavior. Her research incorporated psychophysiological, neuropsychological, and behavioral measures, and she is published in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Simpson’s recent work at the NeuroLeadership Institute builds on her previous experience in business management in the for-profit sector (film and television, and music entertainment industries) and leadership experience as a board member of organizations in the non-profit sector.

Dr. Simpson completed her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and received her B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University.