Pernille Yilmam Ph.D.

Pernille Bülow, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist who has struggled with body dysmorphia for many years as a part of living with an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa). After recovering from anorexia and body dysmorphia, she was struck by how prevalent and normalized body dysmorphia is in the general public across age- and gender-groups. Since then, she has worked to help people address their body dysmorphia while also educating non-affected people to reduce stigma and body-shaming behaviors.

Bülow earned her B.S. in Psychology and Neurobiology from University of Copenhagen and the University of California, Berkeley, during which her research focused on the “nature vs. nurture” debate by studying the brains of rodents. She conducted her Ph.D. training in neuroscience at Emory University, where her work unearthed unique biological mechanisms that play a role in brain development and disorders. As a last step in her training, she pursued a Postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital where her work evaluated the ways in which pleasurable touch can modify stress responses.

Bülow now works as a research consultant, science writer and speaker. Her current focus is on how biosensors (such as wearables) can be used as a non-invasive method to study, diagnose, and predict mental illness.