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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Research Highlights

Article

Published March 30, 2015

Kerwin Klein: “Mountain Views”

Europeans used to regard mountains as fearsome and unapproachable, but this perception has shifted over time, says UC Berkeley Professor of History Kerwin Klein.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 29, 2014

Bearing Witness

UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center has taken a lead role in assessing the International Criminal Court’s groundbreaking witness program.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 27, 2014

Bee Killers

The bodies and behaviors of bees have been dramatically transformed by human beings—including the U.S. military—according to UC Berkeley geographer Jake Kosek.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 20, 2014

Brain Exercise and Alzheimer’s

A postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley investigated whether a lifetime of cognitive exercise could mitigate the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 17, 2014

Africa’s AIDS Industry

Efforts to prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa tend to follow the same script, even though the methods are largely ineffective, according to a paper co-authored by a UC Berkeley sociologist.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 9, 2014

A New World of Mapping

UC Berkeley cartographer Darin Jensen is exploring novel ways to detail information about the world around us.

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