Helen Fisher

Helen E. Fisher, born on May 31, 1945, in Manhattan, New York, was a distinguished biological anthropologist. She pursued her academic journey by earning a B.A. in Anthropology and Psychology from New York University in 1968, followed by an M.A. in Physical Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Linguistics, and Archeology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1972. She completed her Ph.D. in Physical Anthropology, specializing in Human Evolution, Primatology, Human Sexual Behavior, and Reproductive Strategies, from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1975. Her early career saw her as a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, before she became a senior research fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University and a member of the Center For Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University.

Fisher’s research focused on the biological underpinnings of love and human mating. She is particularly known for her work with MRI technology, where she and her collaborators were the first to confirm that romantic love is hard-wired in the brain. Her 2004 book, “Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love,” introduced her theory of three core brain systems for mating and reproduction: lust, attraction, and attachment. This theory proposed that humanity has evolved these distinct neural systems, each playing a critical role in human relationships. Her innovative approach extended into practical applications, notably when she joined Match.com in 2005 as chief science adviser to help develop Chemistry.com, an online dating platform that incorporated her research on personality and hormone-based matching systems.

Throughout her career, Fisher was a prolific author, publishing six books and numerous articles in scientific journals such as the Journal of Neurophysiology and Human Nature. She was also a prominent public speaker, delivering TED Talks in 2006 and 2008 and frequently appearing as an anthropological commentator for media outlets like NBC’s Today Show and the BBC. For her efforts in making anthropology accessible to the public, she received the American Anthropological Association’s “Distinguished Service Award.” Helen Fisher passed away on August 17, 2024, at the age of 79, due to endometrial cancer.