Woman of the Week - Mayim Bialik

Many people know Mayim Balik as Amy on the CBS television show The Big Bang Theory. Like her character, she is a neuroscientist. She also spends much of her time off-screen speaking about her myriad interests from veganism to various charities.

Bialik was born in San Diego, California to first-generation, Jewish-American parents who were both documentary filmmakers and teachers. She got into acting at a young age, with one of her first on-screen roles being a young Bette Midler in “Beaches” at age 12. She had several guest roles on other popular television shows from “Facts of Life” to “Webster.”

She started college at the University of California, Los Angeles and earned a degree in neuroscience and Hebrew & Jewish studies. In 2005, she took a break from school to pursue acting but returned to school in 2007 to pursue her doctorate.

Most of her doctoral work was examining the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that causes some people to lose function of certain genes. It can cause poor development and creates a constant feeling of hunger starting in childhood, which can then lead to obesity and diabetes and other weight-related issues.

In 2010, she was cast as a guest role on the Big Bang Theory, which later lead to a permanent role and possibly her most notable television appearance. She plays Amy, a neurobiologist. The role has landed her Emmy nominations in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

She also has written four books. The first two were written along with pediatrician Jay Gordon. Beyond the Sling is about attachment parenting, and Mayim's Vegan Table contains over one hundred original vegan recipes. Her third book, Girling Up, is about the struggles and ways in which girls grow up while showing the scientific ways in which their bodies change. The successor to Girling Up, Boying Up, provides a similar knowledge base but for boys.

She also showcases some of her ideas and thoughts on her YouTube and blog called GrokNation.com.