About

My name is Matt, which is much pithier than “Matthew Berger, PhD.” On my YouTube channel I am “Doctor Noir,” which is a bit of silly fun.

I am a data geek, historical researcher, non-fiction writer and lover of film and music. I earned a BA in political science from Yale, AM in government from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and both a MA in biostatistics and PhD in epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health. In 2017, I declared myself a Writer. My first book, Interrogating Memory: Film Noir Spurs a Deep Dive Into My Family History…and My Own was published in May 2022 to the loudest yawn ever. In May 2026, I completed The West Philadelphia Story: An Immigrant Jewish Journey. It focuses solely on my Jewish ancestors in the titular city, ending with in utero adoption in 1966. All it needs a is a proper publisher. A planned third book in a loose interrogating memory trilogy has the working title Meet Me at the Counter: Tales of an Early GenX Idiosyncrat. While solving personal historical puzzles is my primary gig, I have taken hundreds of nighttime photographs over the last few years, many of which can be found on my YouTube channel. And I I have been a darned good househusband since around 2023.

I am a Jewish-raised atheist. My politics strongly lean left, though no group has a monopoly on good ideas. My musical triumvirate is Genesis, Stan Ridgway and Miles Davis – Roxy Music and The Cars make it a quintet. My favorite television shows, topped by Barney Miller, are empathetic portrayals of (mostly) workplace “families.” Placed for adoption in utero, I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia – though I have now lived in the suburbs of Boston more than half of my life.

In short: my wife Nell, along with our daughter, gender-fluid younger child and golden retriever, keep me happy, sane and grounded. If there is anything you would like to know, please ask! I always respond as quickly and as honestly as I can.