David Lazer

David Lazer is a University Distinguished Professor of political science and computer sciences at Northeastern University.125 He is the co-director of the NULab for Texts, Maps, and Networks and an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.16

Academic Background

Lazer earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1996.5 Before joining Northeastern in 2009, he was a faculty member at the Harvard Kennedy School from 1998 to 2009.25

Research Focus

His research centers on computational social science and social networks, with a particular emphasis on misinformation and political communication.16 He is among the leading scholars globally in these fields.23

Notable Achievements

• Co-lead of the COVID States Project, which tracked public opinion across all 50 states during the pandemic16
• Co-founder of Volunteer Science, a citizen science project studying human behavior1
• Principal investigator on over $13 million in grants from various organizations including NSF and IARPA16
• Published in prestigious journals like Science, Nature, and the American Political Science Review124

Media and Recognition

His work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and CBS Evening News.126 He has served in multiple leadership and editorial positions, including as a board member for the International Network of Social Network Analysts.124