James Garrett lives and breathes neuroplasticity. “I’ve spent the past 22 years pursuing my fascination with the brain and have gone on some wild adventures trying to understand the outer limits of human potential. I’ve studied, searched, unearthed, unpacked; and relentlessly experimented with this question in my own life.”

As a researcher, James spent years working with some of the world’s best psychologists in labs at Columbia, Tufts, and Yale Universities, but ultimately left academia to pursue his passion for getting the science of behavior change out of the lab and into people’s lives.

He began by joining the Peace Corps with his wife, Shaylyn Romney Garrett, and together they created an award-winning Arabic language curriculum to teach Carol Dweck’s Mindset research to Jordanian youth. Through their nonprofit, Think Unlimited, they partnered with Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah to train Jordanian public school teachers to implement the first brain-based positive psychology curriculum in the Middle East.

Upon returning to the U.S., James founded Brain by Design and began teaching courses and coaching individuals on how to use the most cutting-edge brain science to achieve their goals. He has coached hundreds of clients—from struggling teens to stressed-out executives—trained thousands of coaches, consulted for top companies, and spoken to audiences worldwide. His broad expertise in behavior change spans multiple disciplines, and his passion for unlocking human potential is infectious.

James’s knowledge of what it looks and feels like to create lasting change is also deeply personal. Having struggled with OCD since childhood, for James, the idea that the brain could rewire itself was a lifeline, and his deep dive into neuroscience became a healing journey that animates and informs everything he does today. In 2019 he launched the Deep Change Project, a quest to build unshakeable confidence and overcome fear through experimentation with exciting new technologies, ancient mindfulness practices, and a wide array of evidence-based tools.

“I am awed and inspired by the beauty and resilience of the human brain. And I have really wrestled personally with what it means to apply the most cutting-edge brain science to improve mental health, overcome adversity, enhance performance, and unlock the potential of individuals and groups. I absolutely love sharing the hopeful message of neuroplasticity—that we’re not condemned to live within the neurological limits of our birth.”