Jytte Klausen is the Lawrence A. Wien Professor of International Cooperation at Brandeis University and an affiliate at Harvard University’s Center for European Studies. Her research focuses on global terrorism, radicalization, and counterterrorism strategies. She leads the Western Extremism Project, a database analyzing Al-Qaeda-inspired and far-right extremist activities in Western democracies. This project includes over 7,500 individuals and 35,000 relationships, supporting quantitative and network analysis. Her work bridges social science and computational methods, such as developing risk-assessment protocols funded by a $731,000 Department of Justice grant. Notable publications include Western Jihadism: A Thirty-Year History (2021) and The Cartoons That Shook the World (2009), which sparked global debate. She has received awards like the Carnegie Scholars’ Award (2007) and was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow (2016–2017). Klausen’s lab employs interdisciplinary teams, training students in data science and counterterrorism. She emphasizes evidence-based approaches to counter extremism without profiling, advocating for behavioral analysis over demographic assumptions. Her research highlights intersections between criminal networks and jihadism, such as 'gangster jihadism' in Europe.









