Emmy-nominated actress Mayim Hoya Bialik was born to first-generation American teachers and documentary filmmakers. Her breakout role, as a young Bette Midler in Beaches, led to a starring role in the popular sitcom “Blossom” from 1990 to 1994. After taking a break from Hollywood to pursue a higher education and start a family, Bialik returned to acting and, today, stars in the hit comedy “The Big Bang Theory” as Sheldon’s girlfriend, Amy Farrah Fowler.

Bialik was raised in Los Angeles and attended both public and religious schools. She received her B.S. in Neuroscience and Hebrew and Jewish Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2000 and earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCLA in 2007, specializing in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Bialik’s path from child actress, to neuroscientist, to playing a scientist on TV’s #1 comedy has led to her role off screen as an advocate for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. As the brand ambassador for Texas Instruments Education Technology, she meets with educators and students around the nation to inspire young people to pursue STEM in their studies and future careers.

Bialik has two sons and is devoted to a lifestyle of attachment parenting, homeschooling, natural family living, and vegan cooking.