UC Berkeley’s flagship institute for social science research

Our purpose is captured in our name: we provide an organizational framework—a “matrix”—that supports cross-disciplinary research pursued by social scientists across the University of California, Berkeley campus and beyond.

Matrix On Point

Recap

Published April 10, 2025

Mainstreaming Psychedelics

Psychedelics are steadily moving from the fringes of counterculture to the heart of mainstream society, driven by a growing body of research and shifting public perception. As psychedelics shed their stigma, they are catalyzing a broader conversation about mental health, spirituality, and the boundaries of human consciousness. Recorded on March 6, 2025, this panel featured Diana Negrin, David Presti, Charles Hirschkind, and Graham Pechenik, with Poulomi Saha moderating.

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Matrix Lecture

Recap

Published May 22, 2017

An Orderly Mess: Helga Nowotny

View the video of the 2017 Social Science Matrix Distinguished Lecture, presented by Helga Nowotny, Professor emerita of Science and Technology Studies, ETH Zurich, and a founding member of the European Research Council.

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Other Events

Recap

Published May 22, 2017

2017 Matrix Open House

On May 4, 2017, Social Science Matrix held an Open House to celebrate the end of the academic year. Check out our gallery of images and video of introductory remarks by William Hanks, Director of Social Science Matrix.

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Inequality

Article

Published May 2, 2017

Bikes and the Changing City

UC Berkeley Geography Lecturer John G. Stehlin reflects on using the bicycle as a lens to understand gentrification and local inequities.

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Health

Article

Published March 16, 2017

Network Survival Method

Dennis Feehan, Assistant Professor in the UC Berkeley Department of Demography, explains a pioneering approach to predicting adult mortality.

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Other Events

Recap

Published March 9, 2017

Clair Brown, “Buddhist Economics”

On March 2, 2017, Clair Brown, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Work, Technology, and Society at UC Berkeley, discussed her new book, Buddhist Economics: An Enlightened Approach to the Dismal Science.

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Inequality

Article

Published February 20, 2017

Racism and Heart Health

UC Berkeley postdoctoral researcher Jordan B. Leitner investigates the connections between health disparities and levels of racial bias within communities.

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