Mark Williams

Author, Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development/Welfare, Social Issues

Dr Mark is an internationally renowned neuroscientist who has presented to audiences all over the world. He is an entertaining and informative speaker, who backs up his contemporary thinking with down-to-earth pragmatism based on a ‘colourful’ background which very nearly took him to jail or an early grave. By exploring the true potential of the brain, Dr Mark leaves the audience thinking deeply about who they are and what they can achieve.

Latest Publication:

“The Connected Species: How understanding the evolution of the human brain can help you reconnect with the world”, Woodslane Press 22, July 2024

Where were you born?
Colac, Vic

What other jobs have you had?
I worked at several universities including MIT in the USA where the internet started. I was working at MIT when the first iPhone was released and when social media was unleashed on the world. It was fascinating to be at ground zero for these two events that have literally changed our worlds and our brains.

When I was in my 20s I worked the night shift at a service station in Melbourne. We would get all kinds of people come in from party goers to prostitutes, shift workers to early morning exercises. It is amazing what you can learn about people by observing their behaviour in the middle of the night.

What themes are recurring in your work?
My worked is focused on our brain and how it works. I started presenting and writing for the general public because I realized there were so many neuromyths rampant throughout society. I explain in simple terms how our brain actually works and what we need to change to enable everyone to thrive.

What have been the highlights of your career?
I have been so fortunate in my career. I have worked with some of the most brilliant minds worldwide and received several prestigious awards. I’m also an editor for both PLOS-One and Frontiers which are both international scientific journals. Having the opportunity to support scientists to get their worked published is a real privilege. But I must say receiving feedback from people who have attended my presentations and have changed the way they live as a result is the
biggest buzz of all. Hearing that what I said resonated with them and as a result they are living a brain friendlier life never gets old.

Where have your works been published?
My first trade book “The Connected Species” was originally published internationally by Rowman & Littlefield in 2023. It was then republished as an paperback ANZ version by Woodslane Press in 2024.

I have also published over 70 scientific articles in international journals and edited an online scientific book “Facing the Other” which has been downloaded over ½ Million times.

What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about understanding our brain and how we can alter our environment and behaviour so that everyone can thrive. I want to teach everyone about how their brain works and why the way we are headed is having such a negative impact on us all. Time to make some small changes that can make a big impact.

Haven’t I seen you before?
I have appeared on The Project & Mirror Mirror (Channel Ten), The Role of a Lifetime, Our Brain, Magic and the Brain, Music and the Brain & Making Australia Happy (ABC), Sunrise (Channel 7), and SkyNews.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I have been quoted in every major Australian newspaper at least once and in many overseas publications including The Guardian & Telegraph (UK), New York Times, L.A. Times, & Boston Globe (USA), Forbes, Economist, and New Scientist.

Testimonials