Andrew David Huberman Biography 2024: Age, Height, Career, Awards and Nomination, Net Worth
Andrew David Huberman, born on September 26, 1975, is a renowned American neuroscientist and podcaster.
Currently, he holds the position of associate professor in the fields of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Since 2021, he has been hosting the Huberman Lab podcast, which primarily focuses on health and science topics.
However, it is worth noting that the podcast has faced criticism for endorsing health claims that lack substantial evidence, as highlighted by various sources.
Additionally, starting from 2022, Huberman has been involved as a partner, scientific advisor, and promoter for dietary supplement companies.
Born | Andrew David Huberman September 26, 1975 Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
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Education |
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Parent | Bernardo Huberman |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Neuroscience |
Institutions | Stanford University University of California, San Diego |
Thesis | Neural activity and axon guidance cue regulation of eye-specific retinogeniculate development (2004) |
Academic advisors | Ben Barres (Stanford) Barbara Chapman (UCD) William DeBello (UCD) Hwai-Jong Cheng (UCD) Marc Breedlove (UCB) Harry J. Carlisle (UCSB) |
Website | hubermanlab |
Early Life and Education
Huberman was born in 1975 at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California, to Bernardo Huberman, an Argentine physicist and Stanford University professor, and his mother, a children’s book author.
As a child, he participated in sports, especially soccer and swimming, and showed a keen interest in science and history, often conducting independent studies and sharing his knowledge with peers.
He completed his early education at Gunn High School.
At the age of 12, his parents divorced, leading him to lose interest in traditional academics and develop a passion for skateboarding. He briefly considered a career in firefighting as well.
After taking a break from formal education and undergoing therapy, Huberman reevaluated his interests and became fascinated with biopsychology.
He then resumed his studies and enrolled at Foothill College.
Huberman earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1998, followed by an M.A. in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2000, and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Davis, in 2004.
He was awarded the Allan G. Marr Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation in 2005.
Additionally, he completed his postdoctoral training in neuroscience at Stanford University under Ben Barres from 2006 to 2011, during which he was a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow from 2006 to 2009.
Throughout his postdoctoral work at Stanford, Huberman developed genetic tools to study the visual system and contributed to Thrasher.
While at Berkeley, he initially approached Carla J. Shatz to be his doctoral advisor, but she declined due to concerns about his background in molecular and cellular biology and her upcoming move to Harvard.
She advised him to transfer to UC Davis and seek guidance from Barbara Chapman.
Academic Career
From 2011 to 2015, Huberman served as an assistant professor of neurobiology and neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego.
In 2016, Huberman transitioned to a faculty position at Stanford University.
Together with David Spiegel, Huberman conducted research on cortisol and anxiety-based depression.
Additionally, Huberman has been at the forefront of investigating the regeneration of eye tissue in mice, which holds potential for studying optical nerve regeneration in humans in the future.
According to New York Magazine, as of 2024, Huberman’s lab at Stanford has experienced significant downsizing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with only one postdoc currently working there. However, a spokesperson for Huberman affirmed that the lab remains operational.
Podcasts
Huberman met Robert Mohr in 2019, a health and fitness publicist based in New York who created “The Fight with Teddy Atlas,” a boxing podcast.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Huberman became increasingly dissatisfied with what he perceived as health authorities’ exclusive focus on the virus, neglecting to offer guidance on enhancing public health.
Mohr played a key role in securing Huberman’s appearances on popular podcasts, such as those hosted by Joe Rogan and Rich Roll, which contributed to the growth of his social media following.
By the conclusion of 2020, Huberman had been featured on Lex Fridman’s technology podcast, where Fridman encouraged him to launch his own podcast.
In 2021, following Fridman’s encouragement, Huberman introduced the Huberman Lab podcast.
That same year, Huberman and Robert Mohr established Scicomm Media to create science-related content.
By 2023, the podcast had risen to become the third most popular podcast in the US on Spotify platforms and the most followed show on Apple Podcasts.
Additionally, his YouTube channel boasts 5.1 million subscribers, while his Instagram account has amassed 5.5 million followers.
Biologist Andrea Love has criticized Huberman’s podcast content, stating that it often presents health claims as scientific without sufficient scientific evidence or accuracy.
Jonathan Jarry from the Office for Science and Society has raised concerns about Huberman’s endorsement of poorly regulated dietary supplements.
Joseph Zundell, a cancer biologist, acknowledges Huberman’s expertise in neuroscience but criticizes his extrapolation of animal research to human use without proper scientific justification.
These criticisms have been echoed by New York Magazine. However, neuroscientist David Berson, who has a longstanding relationship with Huberman, praises his research and describes his podcast as a valuable contribution to the world of science.
On the other hand, an article in Coda highlights Huberman’s promotion of anti-sunscreen views without providing any evidence.
Huberman himself denies being an anti-sunscreen conspiracy theorist.
Additionally, Huberman expresses skepticism towards fluoridation despite scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness.
Awards and recognition
- Cogan Award for Contributions to Vision Science and Ophthalmology (2017)
- Pew Biomedical Scholar Award
- McKnight Neuroscience Scholar Award
Selected publications
- Lim JH, Stafford BK, Nguyen PL, Lien BV, Wang C, Zukor K, He Z, Huberman AD (August 2016). “Neural activity promotes long-distance, target-specific regeneration of adult retinal axons”. Nat Neurosci (Research article). 19 (8): 1073–84. doi:10.1038/nn.4340. PMC 5708130. PMID 27399843.
- Balban MY, Neri E, Kogon MM, Weed L, Nouriani B, Jo B, Holl G, Zeitzer JM, Spiegel D, Huberman AD (January 2023). “Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal”. Cell Rep Med (Randomized controlled trial). 4 (1): 100895. doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895. PMC 9873947. PMID 36630953.