Bear Goldstein

Bear Goldstein studies the neuroscience of teams. He is interested in how teamwork allows us to not only achieve beyond our individual capabilities but also forge meaningful interpersonal connections. Specifically, Bear uses mobile and motion-tolerant neuroimaging to explore the neural and behavioral responses of teams in real-time while also maintaining naturalistic interaction. Through a social-neuroscientific approach to teamwork, Bear aims to shed light on the underpinnings of positive team dynamics and the ways in which we may improve team outcomes, including creativity, cohesiveness, and collective success.

Bear sees psychology and neuroscience as an engagement with our shared human condition – implicit in which is the potential to improve that condition. Beyond the neuroscience of teams, Bear also explores how we “see” the world around us, and how we can use our knowledge of the brain to measure, predict, and change our psychological lenses. 

Prior to graduate school, Bear played lacrosse at Princeton University, where he was a two-time captain. After college, Bear was awarded the Princeton in Africa Fellowship, where he worked for one year to ensure sustainable resource access for people in rural Kenya. Bear also worked as a professional photographer, eventually trading in his photographic lens for a psychological one.

Bear is a PhD student specializing in Social and Affective Neuroscience at UCLA. He currently works in the Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab under Dr. Matthew Lieberman. Bear is also a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellow.