Team members

Jakob Rusinek was a Behavioral Insights, Learning and Communication Specialist at the Independent Evaluation Group – a part of the World Bank Group. He was responsible for diagnosing, designing and implementing behavioral insights interventions in areas such as energy theft, labor market programs, fragile conflict states and organizational reforms. He previously worked with Behavioral Economics Professor Dan Ariely and his team at the Center for Advanced Hindsight to create the first Behavioral Nudge Unit at the World Bank. Jakob holds an MA in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and has previously worked at the United Nations in New York.

Charlie is an undergraduate at McGill University in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, majoring in Economics and Computer Science. Some of his main interests include quantitative finance and algorithmic design. He believes that an algorithmic approach to behavioral economics could assist in the recognition of heuristic patterns and market inefficiencies.

Hans holds a PhD in Computational Neuroscience from the University of Toronto. He has over 7 years of experience leading multidisciplinary data-driven projects and has expertise in neuroscience, statistics, machine learning, high-performance computing, as well as behavioural economics and decision science. He is interested in diverse applications of Machine Learning and Data Science in health, policy, business, and social good. He is passionate about having a positive impact on society.

Before joining The Decision Lab, Hang spent two years as the Program Development Manager of Pacific Links Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on community development projects throughout Southeast Asia. It was in this role that she became interested in how behavioural science can be applied to the designing, monitoring, and evaluating of childhood education and economic empowerment projects for those living in human trafficking hotspots.

Hang has also worked in Washington, DC, where she consulted on projects for the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, and Department of State. Hang holds an MSc in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia.

Eloisa is a currently a graduate student at University College London, where she is studying for an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience. She holds a BA in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford, and has experience working as a research assistant for the Behavioural Insights Team in London, on projects relating to primary education and mental health. She has also gained experience in the education, healthcare and non-profit sectors. She is interested in the interdisciplinary fields of neuroscience, behavioural science and public policy and how society can be enhanced by knowledge of the human brain and behaviour.

Liz is a strategic analyst and born problem solver. Having graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Neuroscience, she has a background in cognitive psychology, decision neuroscience, and social psychology. Her interest in human behavior enables her to apply her knowledge to the world of strategy and innovation, where she has been working for over four years. Combining her passion for behavioral science with her experience in strategy and innovation, she takes a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving – applying learnings in real time to effect meaningful change.

Michelle has a background in Cognitive Science from Brown University, with a focus in the mechanisms of decision making and cognitive control. There, she conducts research for a neuroeconomics lab and works with an idea incubator that utilizes human-centered design to create solutions for social good. She also has experience in product management, research, and data analytics in the media, tech, and healthcare industries. Michelle is particularly captivated by the intersection of human cognition, perception, and technology.

Liam is a journalist and civil servant based in the United Kingdom, recently graduating from University College London with an MSc in Security and International Relations. He previously graduated with a BA in Politics from the University of Exeter, with research interests in terrorism, behavioural economics, cognitive neuroscience, and the application of machine-learning to the study of political speech. His current writings introduce critical epistemology to the way behavioural science is studied, and is looking to conduct further research on behavioural responses to the criminal justice system.

Jake is an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University in the Quantitative Social Science Scholars program, majoring in Behavioral Economics, Policy, and Organizations. He is a research assistant to professors in behavioral economics in the SDS department at Carnegie Mellon. He is interested in how behavioral insights can be used to improve policy outcomes.

Marielle has a background in Behavioural Science and History from McGill University, where she conducts research on consciousness and mindfulness in the education setting. In particular, she is interested in the intersection of cultural norms and behavioural science. Committed to using her skills for social good, Marielle worked as a research associate for an NGO focused on implementing educational programs in remote and indigenous communities in the Philippines. In her work, Marielle seeks to combine her interest in cultures and her passion for behavioural science to create a positive social impact across various domains.

Olivia is currently studying economics and psychology at New College of Florida. Some of her main interests include development economics, social psychology, and education. She has volunteered in various countries including Peru and Greece to improve local educational outcomes. She is interested in the many ways that decision making research can be applied in order to improve outcomes for disadvantaged groups.

Lindsey is a current student at Duke University majoring in Neuroscience and Political Science. She has previously worked for non-profit organizations focused on child safety and has spent two years researching the applications of DNA and biometrics in human trafficking. Through these interdisciplinary studies, she is interested in applying behavioral science to policies addressing some of society’s most critical problems.

Neil is a PhD researcher in Political and Social Science at the European University Institute. He is interested in the heuristics individuals use to develop attachments to political parties. He holds an MPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford, where he participated in numerous research assistantships at the Department of Politics and International Relations and the Centre for Experimental Social Science.

Andrew is a DPhil candidate in Politics at the University of Oxford. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied public policy and behavioral economics, and was a research and teaching assistant to Dr. George Loewenstein. At CMU, he worked as a researcher at the BEDR Policy Lab, conducting experiments on topics ranging from confirmation bias in voting beliefs to the efficacy of various incentives for inducing pro-social behavior. Andrew is particularly interested in the behavioral and psychological effects of poverty and inequality, and how folk conceptions of fairness shape attitudes towards these phenomena. His writing has been published and republished at The American Interest, Marginal Revolution, Arts & Letters Daily, Real Clear Policy, and his hometown paper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Allegra has worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Patrick Murphy, aiding the legislative team and on New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Mayoral campaign. In addition, she coordinated polling research and project creation at Lake Research Partners polling firm. She specializes in developing internal protocols to manage projects and data and improve communication procedures, to maximize output and workflow efficiency, She also enjoys performing risk management to expedite ventures and improve strategy. Allegra holds a BA in Political Science from Brandeis University.

Sekoul is a Co-Founder at The Decision Lab. A decision scientist with an MSc in Decision Neuroscience from McGill University, Sekoul’s academic work has been featured in peer reviewed journals and has been presented at conferences around the world. Sekoul previously worked on innovation and engagement strategy at The Boston Consulting Group as well as on online media strategy at Google. He has a deep interest in the applications of behavioral science to new technology and has published on these topics in places such as the Huffington Post and Strategy & Business.

Dan is a Co-Founder at The Decision Lab. He has a background in organizational decision making, with a BComm in Decision & Information Systems from McGill University. He has worked on enterprise-level behavioral architecture at TD Securities and BMO Capital Markets, where he managed the implementation of systems processing billions of dollars per week. Driven by an appetite for the latest in technology, Dan created a course on business intelligence and lectured at McGill University, and has applied behavioral science to topics such as augmented and virtual reality.

Tom is a Co-Founder at The Decision Lab and a second year law student at Georgetown. He is particularly interested in the applications of behavioral science to the legal and financial industries, and has worked at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in Washington, DC. Prior to law school, Tom attended McGill University in Montreal, where he graduated with First Class Honors with majors in Philosophy and Psychology.