Charles Lanfear

Charles Lanfear is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge. He holds a PhD in Sociology (2021) and MA in Sociology (2017) from the University of Washington, along with MPP (2013) and BA in Sociology (2010) from Oregon State University.

His research focuses on community structures and crime, firearm violence, social control mechanisms, and urban sociology. He employs causal inference, demographic analysis, and computational social science to explore these topics. He also specializes in quantitative methods and reproducible research practices, with open-access course materials and replication files available via his public website and GitHub profile.

His publications address critical issues including gun violence across life stages, sharing economy impacts on urban crime, collective efficacy, and social control of homelessness. These works span journals like Criminology, Science Advances, JAMA Network Open, and Annual Review of Criminology.

His scientific awards include:

• Research Fellowship, Nuffield College, University of Oxford (2021–2022)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Washington (2020)
• Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award - Social Sciences, University of Washington (2018)
• Best Graduate Instructor, University of Washington (2018–2019)

He actively contributes to academic service via roles such as MPhil Director and Admissions Committee Member at the University of Cambridge, and has served on editorial and faculty search committees at the University of Washington. He also supervises Natalia Cabrera-Morales, a PhD student at the Institute of Criminology.