Andrew D. Huberman | Stanford Medicine (2024)

Associate Professor of Neurobiology and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

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Academic Appointments

Associate Professor, Neurobiology
Associate Professor (By courtesy), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Member, Bio-X
Member, Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance
Member, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute

Administrative Appointments

Associate Professor, Stanford School of Medicine (2016 - Present)
Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego (2011 - 2015)

Honors & Awards

Cogan Award for Contributions to Vision Science and Ophthalmology, ARVO (2017)
Pew Biomedical Scholar Award, Pew Charitable Trusts (2013-2017)
McKnight Neuroscience Scholar Award, McKnight Endowment Fund (2013-2016)
Catalyst for a Cure Investigator, Glaucoma Research Foundation (2012- present)
Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow, HHWF Foundation (2006-2009)
Allan G. Marr Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Davis (2005)
ARCS Foundation Graduate Fellowship Award, ARCS Foundation (2003)
Graduation with Honors and Distinction in Major, University of California, Santa Barbara (1998)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

Wu-Tsai Neurosciences Seminar Committee Chair, Stanford University (2021 - 2022)
Faculty Search Committee, Neurobiology/Molecular Neuroscience, Stanford School of Medicine (2019 - 2020)
Faculty Search Committee, Neurosurgery Chair, Stanford School of Medicine (2019 - 2020)
Within-Department Tenure Review Committee, Neurobiology, Stanford School of Medicine (2019 - 2019)
Editorial Board, Faculty of 1000 (2018 - Present)
Faculty Search Committee, Neurobiology/Molecular Neuroscience, Stanford School of Medicine (2018 - 2019)
Editorial Board, Neural Development (2016 - Present)
Editorial Board, Cell Reports (2016 - 2022)
Editorial Board, Current Opinion in Neurobiology (2016 - 2018)
Within-Department Tenure Review Committee, Neurobiology, Stanford School of Medicine (2016 - 2016)
Editorial Board, The Journal of Comparative Neurology (2015 - Present)
Research Committee Co-chair, Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego (2014 - 2015)
Associate Editor: Systems/Circuits, The Journal of Neuroscience (2013 - 2018)
Editorial Board, Current Biology (2011 - Present)
Faculty Recruitment Committee, Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego (2011 - 2014)
Seminar Committee, Neurobiology Section Chair, University of California, San Diego (2011 - 2013)
Neuroscience Graduate Program Admissions Committee, University of California, San Diego (2011 - 2012)

Professional Education

Postdoc, Stanford University, Neuroscience (2010)
PhD, University of California, Davis, Neuroscience (2004)
MA, University of California, Berkeley, Psychology (2000)
BA, University of California, Santa Barbara, Psychology (1998)

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

In 2017, we developed a virtual reality platform to investigate the neural and autonomic mechanisms contributing to fear and anxiety. That involved capturing 360-degree videos of various fear-provoking situations in real life for in-lab VR movies, such as heights and claustrophobia, as well as unusual scenarios like swimming in open water with great white sharks. The primary objective of our VR platform is to develop new tools to help people better manage stress, anxiety and phobias in real-time, as an augment to in-clinic therapies.

In May 2018, we reported the discovery of two novel mammalian brain circuits as a Research Article published in Nature. One circuit promotes fear and anxiety-induced paralysis, while the other fosters confrontational reactions to threats. This led to ongoing research into the involvement of these brain regions in anxiety-related disorders such as phobias and generalized anxiety in humans.

In 2020, we embarked on a collaborative effort with Dr. David Spiegel's laboratory in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, aimed to explore how specific respiration patterns synergize with the visual system to influence autonomic arousal and stress, and other brain states, including sleep.

In 2023, the first results of that collaboration were published as a randomized controlled trial in Cell Reports Medicine, demonstrating that specific brief patterns of deliberate respiration are particularly effective in alleviating stress and enhancing mood, and improving sleep.

In a 2021, our collaboration with Dr. Edward Chang, professor and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), was published in Current Biology, revealing that specific patterns of insular cortex neural activity may be linked to, and potentially predict, anxiety responses.

Clinical Trials

Psychophysiological Effects of Controlled Respiration and Mindfulness Not Recruiting
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The investigators aim to understand the effectiveness of 3 types of breathwork exercises and a mindfulness meditation control on improving psychological and physiological measures of wellbeing. The interventions will be delivered remotely and effects are monitored through daily surveys and physiological monitoring with WHOOP wristband through a 28-day period. The information gained will help develop the most effective remote interventions for lowering stress and improving wellbeing. The study will be run on a healthy general population. The three breathing conditions were 1) Cyclic Sighing, which emphasizes relatively prolonged exhalations, 2) Box Breathing, which is equal duration of inhalations, breath retentions, exhalations and breath retentions, and 3) Cyclic Hyperventilation with Retention, with longer, more intense inhalations and shorter, passive exhalations. Mindfulness Meditation practice involved passive attention to breath.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact SPECTRUM, .

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
- Andrew D. Huberman
- David Spiegel
View full details

2024-25 Courses

Independent Studies
- Directed Reading in Neurobiology
  NBIO 198 (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Directed Reading in Neurobiology
  NBIO 299 (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Directed Reading in Neurosciences
  NEPR 299 (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Graduate Research
  NBIO 399 (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Graduate Research
  NEPR 399 (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Medical Scholars Research
  NBIO 370 (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Undergraduate Research
  NBIO 199 (Aut, Win, Spr)

Prior Year Courses

2022-23 Courses

The Nervous System
NBIO 206 (Win)

2021-22 Courses

The Nervous System
NBIO 206 (Win)

Andrew D. Huberman | Stanford Medicine (2024)

Associate Professor of Neurobiology and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Lead Sponsor

Stanford Investigators

2022-23 Courses

2021-22 Courses