I am Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and author of Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain your brain to boost your serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphin levels.
I’m Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. As a teacher and a parent, I lost confidence in prevailing theories of human motivation. When I discussed this with my colleagues, it was clear that they had the same problem but they didn’t want to talk about it. So I started doing research on the brain chemicals that motivate animals. When I discovered the job done by dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphin in the state of nature, it was easy to understand people.
I knew this information could help people so I began creating resources to explain the happy chemicals to everyone. I’m thrilled to say that the Inner Mammal Institute has helped thousands of people around the world with its free resources. My books have been translated into Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French, Turkish and German. My work has been cited in major media (Forbes, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, Cosmopolitan, Real Simple), and I’ve been a guest on major podcasts such as James Altucher, Brainfluence, Almost 30, and Yogabody.
Knowing my inner mammal has brought me peace as well. Every time I endure a committee meeting or hear a love ballad, I remember that our mammalian ancestors lived with the same frustrations.
Before teaching, I was a United Nations Volunteer in Africa. Later, I volunteered as a Docent at the Oakland Zoo. I love giving family-friendly tours on the social behavior of mammals.
I’m a graduate of Cornell and Tufts Universities. I spent the first half of my life in New York and the second half in Northern California.
I have 10,000 followers on social media + email list. My other books include The Science of Positivity: Stop Negative Thought Patterns By Changing Your Brain Chemistry and Tame Your Anxiety: Rewiring Yourself for Happiness. Currently, I am writing a teen guide to happy chemicals.
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