Since 1995, Matt Bellace, Ph.D., has been a professional speaker and stand-up comedian. His programs encourage over a hundred thousand students and adults each year to improve their mental health and be resilient in the face of stress. He has spoken in 48 U.S. states and throughout the world.

Dr. Bellace has a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology, which is the study of the brain and behavior. He trained at the National Institutes of Mental Health, and completed his internship at the traumatic brain and spinal cord units at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

He’s the author of the best-selling book, A Better High: Laugh, Help, Run, Love and Other Ways to Get Naturally High (Wyatt MacKenzie, 2012). His most recent book, Life Is Disappointing and Other Inspiring Thoughts (Wyatt MacKenzie, 2021), focuses on dealing with disappointment and techniques for to coping with pain, loss and failure.
He’s a contributing author for National Geographic Kids and was featured in the PBS documentary Voices of Hope. He was also a recurring comedian on truTV’s “World’s Dumbest.” For ten years, Matt lived on the Upper East Side and performed stand-up comedy at clubs such as Caroline’s on Broadway, Gotham, The Comic Strip and Stand Up NY. In recent years, he’s been producing a stand-up comedy show called, “What’s So Funny: A Mental Health Comedy Show.”

He currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey with his wife, thirteen-year-old son and ten-year-old daughter.