Dr. Andrea Heberlein is a distinguished scholar and educator in the field of psychology and neuroscience with expertise in human cognition and social perception. She currently serves as a Distinguished Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Boston College's Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Heberlein earned her BA in Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and completed her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Iowa in 2002. Following her doctoral studies, she served as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University for two years before joining Boston College as a Visiting Assistant Professor in 2011, becoming a full-time lecturer in 2012.
Dr. Heberlein's research has made significant contributions to understanding implicit bias in mental health care as documented in her 2019 publication in the Oxford University Press casebook on Sociocultural Psychiatry. Her influential 2017 PLOS One article demonstrated how empathic nonverbal behavior improves both warmth and competence ratings in medical contexts, providing valuable insights for healthcare communication. She has also explored cognitive processes in decision-making through her work on how forgetting can undermine good intentions published in PLOS One in 2013. With a Google Scholar citation count exceeding 2500, her research has established her as a respected voice in cognitive science examining the intersection of neuroscience and social psychology.
As Director of the Mind Perception Lab at Boston College, Dr. Heberlein mentors undergraduate researchers exploring diverse aspects of psychology and neuroscience including positive psychology, business applications, and medical intersections. Her commitment to excellence in teaching was recognized with the Certificate of Distinction from Harvard's Bok Center for Teaching in 2009. In her role as Director of Undergraduate Studies, she has shaped the educational experience for numerous psychology students while maintaining a strong focus on the integration of scientific rigor with real-world applications. Dr. Heberlein continues to advance understanding of human cognition while preparing the next generation of psychologists through her dedication to undergraduate education and research mentorship.
