▁Professor ▁and ▁Social ▁C ogn itive ▁Neu ros cience ▁Lab ▁Director ▁at ▁U CLA ▁Department ▁of ▁Psych ology , ▁Psych iat ry ▁and ▁Bio be havior al ▁Sciences . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Lie ber man ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁May ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁( age ▁ 4 8 ▁years ) ▁in ▁Atlantic ▁City , ▁N . J . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁lawyer ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁an ▁art ▁teacher . ▁His ▁wife , ▁Na omi ▁Eisen berger , ▁is ▁a ▁full ▁professor ▁on ▁the ▁U CLA ▁Psych ology ▁Department ▁fac ulty . ▁Lie ber man ▁is ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁later ▁taught ▁several ▁classes . ▁Na omi ▁Eisen berger ▁and ▁Matthew ▁Lie ber man ▁have ▁a ▁son . ▁ ▁Research ▁and ▁Career ▁Lie ber man ' s ▁work ▁has ▁been ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Institute ▁of ▁M ental ▁Health , ▁National ▁Science ▁Foundation , ▁G ug gen heim ▁Foundation , ▁D AR PA , ▁and ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Naval ▁Research . ▁ ▁Lie ber man ▁conduct s ▁research ▁into ▁the ▁neural ▁bases ▁of ▁social ▁cogn ition ▁and ▁social ▁experience , ▁with ▁particular ▁emphas is ▁on ▁the ▁neural ▁bases ▁of ▁em otion ▁reg ulation , ▁persu asion , ▁social ▁re jection , ▁self - know ledge , ▁theory ▁of ▁mind , ▁and ▁fair ness . ▁Lie ber man ▁co ined ▁the ▁term ▁social ▁cogn itive ▁neu ros cience . ▁His ▁research ▁interests ▁also ▁include ▁Ne ural ▁B ases ▁of ▁Autom atic ▁and