Nafees Hamid

Nafees Hamid is a cognitive scientist at King's College London whose research applies psychology, neuroscience, and anthropological methods to the study of political violence, radicalization, and social cohesion. Hamid serves as Research and Policy Director of XCEPT in the Department of War Studies, a role held since 2021, where work focuses on trauma, mental health, and pathways to peace or violence in fragile and conflict-affected states. Hamid was among the lead researchers on the first brain imaging studies conducted with jihadist supporters, and has since carried out and directed fieldwork across Western Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco, and South Sudan, with ongoing collaborations in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Colombia. Alongside this empirical work, Hamid has advised governments and intergovernmental organizations on counter-violent-extremism policy, including contributions to national strategies for the rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign fighters in Tunisia and Kosovo, and has briefed bodies including the US State and Defense Departments, the UK Home Office, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, and the French Prime Minister's office.