Leor Zmigrod Keynote Speaker

Groundbreaking researcher in the field of political neuroscience and psychology
Leading expert on the science of dogmatism, extremism, and cultivating flexible thinking
Forbes 30Under30 listed author of “The Ideological Brain” (2025)

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Leor Zmigrod's Biography

Dr. Leor Zmigrod is a prize-winning scientist and pioneer in the field of political neuroscience and psychology. Her research centers on the cognitive, emotional, and neurobiological factors that increase people’s susceptibility to extreme ideologies – as well as the characteristics that make people more resilient and creative in the face of rigid ways of thinking.

By integrating advanced methods from neuroscience and cognitive science to study ideological behavior, Leor’s groundbreaking research has illuminated the unconscious traits that make people vulnerable or resistant to radicalization. This has revealed the deep, unexpected, and far-reaching implications of dogmatic thinking on human brains.

Leor completed her PhD at Cambridge University as a Gates Scholar and was subsequently selected for a prestigious research fellowship at Cambridge to lead her own independent research program. She has held visiting fellowships at Stanford University, Harvard University, and both the Berlin and Paris Institutes for Advanced Study.

Aged only 25, Leor was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science and has since won numerous prizes for her trailblazing research and public outreach, including the Women of the Future Science Award and MHP’s “30ToWatch” in British Politics Gold Winner Award. Leor advises national and international policymakers on developing evidence-based counterextremism policies and her research has been featured widely in the media, including in The New York Times, Guardian, Financial Times and New Scientist.

Leor’s new book, The Ideological Brain (2025), is an authoritative, accessible, and playful examination of how ideologies take hold of our brains, fundamentally changing the way we think, act and interact with others. The Ideological Brain shows how ideologues of all types struggle to change their thought patterns when faced with new information, culminating in the radical message that our rigidities are not superficial but can become woven into the fabric of our minds. In the book, Leor describes what a free, authentic, and tolerant brain looks like, and explains how anyone can keep their mind open and flexible in the face of extremist ideologies. The Ideological Brain is a global book, with over 10 translations in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, amongst others.

Leor is an experienced and engaging speaker who enjoys presenting to diverse audiences, including companies, policymakers, scientific and corporate conferences, universities, schools, and literary workshops and events. She is known for being a captivating and sharp communicator, with an ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, empathetic, and thought-provoking way. With experience lecturing around the world, Leor loves public engagement in all its forms and has presented at TEDx, BBC Radio, the Hay Festival, and the United Nations.

The Ideological Brain

Why do some people become radicalized? Who is most susceptible to ideological thinking? How do our ideological convictions fundamentally transform our brains? Building on her own experimental research, Dr Zmigrod will explore the fascinating new field of 'political neuroscience' to reveal the hidden forces shaping our beliefs, behaviours, and even our brains.

Extremism in the 21st Century

Geopolitical and economic changes are tied to the rise and fall of ideological belief systems. As digital technologies fundamentally alter our capacity to distinguish fact from fiction, it is now easier and more efficient for malicious actors to promote extreme ideas. Dr Zmigrod will discuss the new trends in online persuasion and radicalization to show how both old and new extremisms will mutate in the coming decade and affect our psychological and political futures.

The Science of Flexible Thinking

Why do some of us see the world in binaries and others detect all the shades of grey? How do we detach from rigid ways of thinking? Through a playful engagement with the science and neuroscience of mental flexibility, Dr Zmigrod will illuminate what it means to think beyond the box and how all of us can become more flexible, imaginative, and creative thinkers.