Daniel Siegel is a medical doctor with specializations in pediatrics and all-ages psychiatry. He received his MD from Harvard, followed by two post-graduate specializations from UCLA. His initial publications were all scholarly in nature, and were followed by a series of books dedicated to demystifying and explaining neuropsychiatric principles to a popular audience. His books include the New York Times bestsellers Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence; Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human; No-Drama Discipline; and Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. 

He is the founder and director of the Mindsight Institute which offers online courses to parents, professionals, and individuals on the principles outlined in Siegel’s books, including a course dedicated specifically to The Whole-Brain Child. He is a practicing professor of neuropsychiatry, and an active clinician caring for patients. He also serves as the founder and co-director of UCLA Mindful, an organization that provides mindfulness programs using meditation and evidence-based mindfulness practice. In addition to his writing, teaching, and clinical practice, Siegel is regularly invited to give lectures due to his ability to make complex neuro-biological concepts accessible to general audiences. 

Siegel’s professional life has centered around a desire to harness the scientific knowledge of the brain’s structure and offer that knowledge to a wide audience.