Putting Science to Work for Peace
The Peace and Conflict Neuroscience Lab aims to understand how the human mind drives intergroup conflict and to put research into action to heal those divisions.
Studying Conflict Around the World
Our lab studies the dynamics around real-life conflict taking place globally. Click the button below to learn about our publications and ongoing projects by geographic region.
Emile Bruneau’s Legacy
PNCL founder Emile Bruneau, Ph.D. passed away in September 2020 after a fight with brain cancer, but his vision lives on. Learn more about how Bruneau’s life inspired his work, and his fervent hope that others would continue where he left off, using science to pursue peace.
Understanding Human Conflict
Our Research seeks to better understand how processes in the human brain drive people to conflict — and what we can do to bring people together.
The Latest
Dr. Emile Bruneau on NOVA | PBS
Research on the biology of political beliefs provides insight into the effectiveness of how to win any argument. Current theories suggest that people’s political beliefs are driven by their identification with a group—similar to sports team loyalties, but more rooted in values, which makes them...
Brain Imaging Finds Dislike & Dehumanization May Be Different Processes
The findings have strong implications for the current migrant situation in America. While polls have shown that the majority of Americans believe that separating migrant families at the border is unacceptable, a substantial percentage seem to have no problem with it. Knowing that dislike and...