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.

Learn More >

Research Highlights

Article

Published September 23, 2014

Population and Climate Change

A team of UC Berkeley researchers warn that unless action is taken, certain countries will likely face dire rates of starvation and disease.

Learn More >

Research Highlights

Article

Published September 17, 2014

Invisible Users

Invisible Users, a book by UC Berkeley's Jenna Burrell, explores the youth culture of Internet cafés in Ghana, which upends expectations about the power and purpose of technology.

Learn More >

Research Highlights

Article

Published September 11, 2014

Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies

Migrant farmworkers are subject to social and economic inequalities that put them at greater risk of hardship and injury, according to a book by UC Berkeley’s Seth Holmes.

Learn More >

Research Highlights

Article

Published September 5, 2014

Struggles of a Class Worrier

Governments have to do more to reduce income inequality, says UC Berkeley's Robert Reich.

Learn More >

Research Highlights

Article

Published September 3, 2014

Snapping Back from Disaster

UC Berkeley's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management seeks new approaches for mitigating the impacts of disasters on large-scale infrastructure systems.

Learn More >

Research Highlights

Article

Published August 6, 2014

ADHD Explosion

UC Berkeley Professors Stephen P. Hinshaw and Richard M. Scheffler argue that ADHD must be understood as a result of both social conditions and biology.

Learn More >