Robert M. Bilder

Robert M. Bilder is a Distinguished Professor holding the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Chair in Creativity Research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), within the David Geffen School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. He serves as Chief of the Division of Psychology overseeing approximately 160 faculty/staff and 100 doctoral/postdoctoral trainees, and directs the Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity, NIMH-sponsored National Neuropsychology Network, and National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab.

Education:

• Bachelor's in Biology and Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University (1978)
• Ph.D. in Psychology, City College, City University of New York (1984)
• Internship in Neuropsychology, New York State Neurological Institute (1982)

His research pioneers dimensional approaches to mental disorders, examining continua from illness to healthy states and exceptional cognitive abilities. With over 35 years of work on neuroanatomic/neuropsychological bases of major mental illnesses, his program integrates clinical psychology, neuropsychology, and neuroimaging to explore creativity's biological underpinnings and neural correlates of positive valence systems through fMRI and behavioral assessments.

Scientific awards:

• Diplomate, American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology

Dr. Bilder has secured multiple NIH, foundation, and industry grants while mentoring approximately 100 doctoral/postdoctoral trainees. His advisory roles span federal and international boards, complemented by extensive editorial service for scholarly journals across 200+ peer-reviewed publications and 400+ scientific presentations.

He leads major initiatives including the Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity (investigating neural mechanisms of creative thought), National Neuropsychology Network (standardizing cross-site assessments), and NEA Research Lab (studying arts' impact on health), alongside NIMH-funded fMRI studies of positive valence systems.