John Morrison

Dr. John Morrison is an Associate Professor in Criminology at Maynooth University's School of Law and Criminology. He holds a PhD in International Relations (University of St Andrews), an MA in Forensic Psychology (University College Cork), and a BA in Psychology (University College Dublin). His research focuses on terrorist decision-making, including organizational splits, radicalization, and trust dynamics in extremist groups. Funded by ESRC and Minerva, his work has been published in journals like Terrorism and Political Violence and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism.

Morrison serves as Co-Editor of Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, and is an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. He founded research centers on terrorism and extremism at Royal Holloway and the University of East London. His teaching includes modules on criminology and terrorism at Maynooth. Recent students include Dr. Daniella Scerri and Dr. Eke Bont.

Key roles include Director of Teaching and Learning at Maynooth’s School of Law and Criminology, and advisory board member for the Society for Terrorism Research. His podcast Talking Terror interviews leading experts in counter-terrorism studies. Awards include an honorary lectureship from UCL’s Security and Crime Science department.

Research interests span disengagement strategies, CVE initiatives, and the psychology of extremist group membership. He has authored/co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles and books, including 100 Years of Irish Republican Violence (2016). Current projects address climate change and terrorism linkages, and interdisciplinary criminal justice research frameworks.