Abigail Marsh

Dr. Abigail Marsh is a Professor at Georgetown University, renowned for her research on the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying altruism, psychopathy, and moral decision-making. She explores how fear, empathy, and social connectedness shape prosocial behavior, with a focus on extraordinary altruists and individuals with antisocial traits. Her work integrates neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral economics to understand human morality and its extremes.

Key research areas include the neural architecture of altruism, the role of amygdala and oxytocin in social behavior, and the developmental pathways linking trauma to psychopathy. She has conducted large-scale international studies on climate psychology, social discounting, and the ethical implications of human challenge trials. Her findings have been published in top journals and inform debates on societal well-being and altruistic behavior.

Marsh collaborates globally, including with the ENIGMA Consortium and the International Climate Psychology Collaboration. Her studies often use neuroimaging, meta-analyses, and experimental designs to bridge basic science and real-world applications.