Jamee Mae Berg

Dr. Jamee Mae Berg is a neuroscientist and singer/songwriter.
     As a neuroscientist, Dr. Berg has a broad range of experience studying neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically Cayman ataxia, speech and language disorders, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). After obtaining her B.S. from the University of Michigan, Dr. Berg helped discover the genetic basis of Cayman ataxia and was part of a research team that furthered the understanding of human language by identifying brain expression networks associated with human-specific variants in Forkhead box protein P2 (FOXP2), a molecule implicated in speech and language. Following this, Dr. Berg conducted her Ph.D. research at the University of California, Los Angeles under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Geschwind. Dr. Berg’s Ph.D. research focused on janus kinase and microtubule interacting protein-1 (JAKMIP1), a protein dysregulated across various forms of ASD. She found JAKMIP1 to be a novel regulator of neuronal translation, modulating synaptic function and autistic-like behaviors in mice. For this research, Dr. Berg was awarded the Eva Kavan Brain Research Institute Award. Dr. Berg’s postdoctoral fellowship and staff scientist position at the University of California, Los Angeles, continued to focus on JAKMIP1, but also included the behavioral profiling of mice overexpressing cytoplasmic FMR1 interacting protein-1 (CYFIP1), a gene implicated in autism and schizophrenia. Dr. Berg has over 14 years of experience in neuroscience research, with extensive training in genetics, proteomics, cell culture, mouse behavior, and bioinformatics. Dr. Berg is published in high-ranking journals including Nature, Nature Genetics, and Neuron.
     As a singer/songwriter, “Jamee Mae” launched her solo career in 2016 with her debut EP, “Fly,” which won the Akademia award for best R&B/Soul EP. Jamee Mae has performed in several high-profile events, including the Genius Loci Music Festival, the Lucidity Music Festival (recurring performer), and the LoveLife:Livestream event, which included performances by Rachel Platten and Andy Grammer. Jamee Mae has recorded in the famous EastWest studios and has worked with Grammy-Award winning producers Jamey Heath (OPOPP Productions, EP “Fly”) and Paul Hoyle ("Letter to the World"). Jamee Mae's music video, “Candle,” was selected by the Lady Filmmakers Festival and Holly Shorts and screened at the legendary TCL Chinese (formerly Grauman’s Chinese) Theatre in Hollywood, California. Jamee Mae’s songs, “Follow Me" and "Oh My," were featured in the short film, “She Was,” which won best Experimental Short at the 2019 L.A. Live Film Festival. Jamee Mae is the author of musical books, “Kaileia’s Garden” and “Surrounded in Light: A Mother’s Protection Song,” was a musician for “Musicians on Call,” and is a Vanguard Audio Labs Artist.
     Dr. Berg is thrilled to be integrating her lifelong commitment to science and music by studying the neuroscience of music under the mentorship of Dr. Reyna Gordon at the Music Cognition Lab.