Dean Burnett

Doctor of Neuroscience, Author & Science Communicator

PhD (Neuroscience)

Dr. Dean Burnett is a neuroscientist, author, lecturer and broadcaster best known for translating complex brain science into clear, accurate and genuinely useful explanations for non-specialist audiences. He holds a PhD in neuroscience from Cardiff University, where he has worked as an honorary research associate and tutor in the field of psychiatry and medical education. He is the author of the international bestseller The Idiot Brain (2016), The Happy Brain (2018), Psychology: A Complete Introduction, the children's title Why Your Parents Are Driving You Up the Wall and What To Do About It, and Emotional Ignorance (2023). For nearly a decade he wrote the popular Brain Flapping science blog for The Guardian, and his work has featured on the BBC, NPR, TEDx and The New Statesman. He advises Claro on how the product communicates the neuroscience of antidepressants — how the medications are thought to work, what realistic timelines look like, and how to describe side effects and withdrawal in a way that informs rather than alarms.