Louann Brizendine

Louann Brizendine M.D., is a neuropsychiatrist and the author of The Female Brain which was published in 2006 and The Male Brain, published in 2010.

Dr. Brizendine is an expert in women's moods and hormones. Her academic credentials include completing her degree in Neurobiology at UC Berkeley, attending Yale School of Medicine and completing a residency in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical Schoolin Psychiatry. She is board certified in Psychiatry and Neurology and is an endowed clinical professor. She joined the faculty of UCSF Medical School at the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute in 1988 and now holds the Lynne and Marc Benioff endowed chair of psychiatry. At UCSF, Dr. Brizendine pursues active clinical, teaching, writing and research activities.

In 1994, she founded the UCSF Women's Mood and Hormone Clinic and continues to serve as its director. The Women's Mood and Hormone Clinic is a psychiatric clinic designed to assess and treat women of all ages experiencing disruption of mood, energy, anxiety, sexual function and well-being due to hormonal influences on the brain. Dr. Brizendine also treats couples in the clinic.

Additionally, Brizendine teaches courses to medical students, residents and other physicians throughout the country addressing the topics of the brain effects of hormones, mood disorders, anxiety problems and sexual interest changes due to hormones.