Behavioral Research Lab

History and Mission

The MIT Behavioral Research Lab (BRL) was founded in 2006 with support from the Office of the Provost. In 2016, the BRL became a part of MIT Sloan School of Management and has since then received its funding from MIT Sloan’s Office of the Dean.  The BRL remains an Institute-wide resource serving all MIT-affiliated behavioral researchers.

The mission of the MIT Behavioral Research Lab (BRL) is to facilitate impactful, innovative, cutting-edge behavioral research at MIT. We carry out this mission by providing lab facilities, recruitment services, and general support to behavioral researchers across MIT while enabling individuals inside and outside of MIT to participate in meaningful research studies.

What is Behavioral Research?

Behavioral research can be broadly defined as the study of human and animal behavior in response to internal or external stimuli. This includes our interactions with other individuals, our reactions to changes in the physical environment, and the decisions we make in different situations. While behavioral research is more directly associated with the “behavioral sciences” (which consist of disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and economics), it is frequently conducted in business, computer science, education, and many other fields for the purpose of examining human behavior in real-life contexts.

Our Leadership Team and Advisory Board
 

Leadership Team

Jared R. Curhan

Jared R. Curhan

Gordon Kaufman Professor of Management

Jared Curhan is the Gordon Kaufman Professor and a Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as Faculty Director of MIT’s Behavioral Research Lab.Curhan specializes in the psychology of negotiation and…

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Drazen Prelec

Drazen Prelec

Digital Equipment Corp. Leaders for Global Operations Professor of Management

Drazen Prelec is the Digital Equipment Corp. Leaders for Global Operations Professor of Management and a Professor of Management Science and Economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Prelec holds appointments in the Department of…

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Leyla Omeragic Buljina

Leyla Omeragic Buljina

Behavioral Research Lab Coordinator

Advisory Board

Abdullah Almaatouq

Abdullah Almaatouq

Douglas Drane Career Development Assistant Professor in Information Technology and Management

Abdullah Almaatouq is a computational social scientist and the Douglas Drane Career Development Assistant Professor in Information Technology and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Abdullah’s research focuses on improving cooperation,…

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Rahul Bhui

Rahul Bhui

Class of 1958 Career Development Assistant Professor

Rahul Bhui is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and the Class of 1958 Career Development Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and faculty affiliate of the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.His research combines cognitive…

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John S. Carroll

John S. Carroll

Hear name pronounced.

Gordon Kaufman Professor of Management, Emeritus

John Carroll is the Gordon Kaufman Professor of Management, Emeritus and a Professor Post Tenure of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He was also Professor of Engineering Systems until 2015 and served as Co…

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Emilio J. Castilla

Emilio J. Castilla

NTU Professor of Management

Emilio J. Castilla is the NTU Professor of Management and a Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management.Castilla is currently the co-director of the Institute for Work and Employment Research. He joined the MIT…

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Jackson G. Lu

Jackson G. Lu

Sloan School Career Development Associate Professor of Work and Organization Studies

Jackson G. Lu is the Sloan School Career Development Associate Professor and an Associate Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He serves as a senior editor for Organization Science, a senior editor for…

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Thomas W. Malone

Thomas W. Malone

Patrick J. McGovern (1959) Professor of Management

Thomas W. Malone is the Patrick J. McGovern (1959) Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the founding director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence. At MIT, he is also a Professor of Information Technology and a…

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Hazhir Rahmandad

Hazhir Rahmandad

Hear name pronounced.

Schussel Family Professor of Management Science

Hazhir Rahmandad is the Schussel Family Professor of Management Science and a Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Hazhir's research shows how complex organizational dynamics can lead to heterogeneity in organizational…

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David G. Rand

David G. Rand

Erwin H. Schell Professor

David Rand is the Erwin H. Schell Professor and Professor of Management Science and Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, the director of the Applied Cooperation Initiative, and an affiliate of the MIT Institute of Data, Systems, and Society, and the…

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Basima Tewfik

Basima Tewfik

Assistant Professor, Work and Organization Studies

Basima Tewfik (pronounced buh-see-ma too-fik) is an Assistant Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Her main stream of research examines the psychology of the social self at work. In particular, she seeks…

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Y. Karen Zheng

Y. Karen Zheng

George M. Bunker Associate Professor

Yanchong (Karen) Zheng is the George M. Bunker Professor and an Associate Professor of Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. She is also the faculty leader for the Sloan-Affilated LGO degree program. Her research studies…

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