Team members

Liam is an editor at TDL and is a recent graduate of University College London, having completed 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.

Brooke Struck holds a doctorate in philosophy of science. His dissertation research focused on the relationship between quantitative and qualitative research methods, and the relationship between research and other social systems such as language, history and politics. Since finishing his academic work, Dr. Struck has worked in science & innovation policy, first within the Canadian federal government, and then subsequently in the private sector at Science-Metrix. In recent years, he has been researching the interface of big data analytics with organizational decision-making structures, especially in policy-making contexts.

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 writer and counter-extremism analyst 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 Montenegro has a background in behavioural neuroscience from McGill University. Her prior experience ranges from projects in behavioural finance to health, where she was responsible for designing programs that unlocked barriers to medication adherence, curating behaviourally guided content for financial planners and informing policy to improve access to and perceptions of mental health services in University. Currently, she is based in Johannesburg working as a Behavioural Policy Analyst where she designs impact measurement framework to assess the effectiveness of telecommunication policies on access to communications in rural communicates – with a focus on uncovering the lived cost of limited access to communication channels in low-income households.

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 student at Georgetown University Law Center. He is particularly interested in the applications of behavioral science to the legal and financial industries. Based in Washington, DC, Tom’s legal and financial experience includes working at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Division of Trading & Markets, and at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Prior to law school, Tom attended McGill University where he graduated with First Class Honors with majors in Philosophy and Psychology. While at McGill, Tom wrote his Honors Thesis on the topic of metaethical moral relativism.