Neuroscience of Sex and Gender with Dr. Daphna Joel | Life of Her Mind Ep. 4

Dr. Daphna Joel is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. Dr. Joel is a member of the School of Psychological Sciences and the Sagol School of Neuroscience.

After having completed her PhD in Psychobiology at Tel Aviv University in 1998, Dr. Joel received the Alon Fellowship for Young Scientists and then joined Tel Aviv University’s faculty.

Dr. Joel’s work focuses on the relations between sex, gender, and brain structure and function. She has published over 70 papers and is the author of Gender Mosaic: Beyond the Myth of the Male and Female Brain. One of Dr. Joel’s central findings is that there is no “male” or “female” brain. Instead, each brain is a unique “mosaic” (combination) of features — some features may be more common in males, others in females, and others still common in both. Similarly, each individual possesses a unique mosaic of gender characteristics, such as behaviors, personality traits, and cognitive abilities.

More generally, Dr. Joel’s research reveals that even though biological sex is not an illusion, our binary conceptualization of sex, brain, and gender is illusory. 

Learn More about the Gender Mosaic Project and fill out the Questionnaire here: https://gendermosaic.tau.ac.il/

About the series: The Life of Her Mind is dedicated to learning about how women think about their careers, disciplines, and future. Each episode focuses on a single professional working in or around the sciences, with an eye toward uncovering what makes each individual’s contributions unique.

The series is hosted by Labroots Science Writer Mia Wood, Ph.D., a philosophy professor and writer living and working at the intersection of philosophy and everything else. Among her relevant interests are the philosophy of early modern science, the nature of consciousness, and personal identity.