JAMIL ZAKI is a professor of psychology, and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. Using tools from psychology and neuroscience, he and his colleagues examine how empathy works and how people can learn to empathize more effectively. His writing on these topics has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, and the Atlantic.

In his latest book, “The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World,” he  shares cutting-edge research, including experiments from his own lab, showing that empathy is not a fixed trait—something we’re born with or not—but rather a skill that can be strengthened through effort. He discussed this in depth in a talk given in February 2020 as part of SCL’s Distinguished Lecture series.

Over the past few months, Zaki’s research has been featured in news articles and interviews in the context of the COVID pandemic. He recently penned an op-ed in The Washington Post on pandemic trauma and how it could inspire personal growth around the world.

Learn more about Jamil Zaki’s research:

• How the trauma of the pandemic can inspire personal growth
  June 1, 2020 | The Washington Post
• Yes, there is goodness to be found even in these dark days. Its name is kindness
  June 6, 2020 | The Washington Post
• Video: “The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World”
  February 20, 2020 | Stanford Center on Longevity talk