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Brian Hughes
Brian Hughes
Research Asst Professor
Department of Justice,
Law & Criminology
- Call: (000) 000-0000
- Email: [email protected]
- Provost, Office of the
Biography
Brian Hughes is a Research Assistant Professor in the program of Jus¬tice, Law, and Criminology. He is also the co-founder and Associate Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL), where he develops studies and interventions to reduce the risk of radicalization to extremism. His scholarly research explores the impact of communication technology on political and religious extremism, terrorism and fringe culture. This work seeks to identify the affective and material commonalities between extremists of differing ideologies, cultures, times, and places.
His writing has appeared in the CTC Sentinel at West Point, the International Journal of Communication, CNN, and the Center for Analysis of the Radical Right.
Degrees
PhD, American University, School of Communication.
Partnerships & Affiliations
Center for Analysis of the Radical Right Senior Fellow
International Communication Association Member
National Communication Association Member
Jihadi Networks of Culture and Communication research group at CARGC, Annenberg, University of Pennsylvania
Member
Association of Internet Researchers Member
Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities
Selected Publications
“Development of a Codebook of Online Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric to Manage COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(24). July 2021.
Selected Publications
“Uniting for Total Collapse: The January 6 Boost to Accelerationism,” (primary author with Cynthia Miller-Idriss), CTC Sentinel, May 2021.
Selected Publications
“Debate: Donald Trump and Fascism Studies,” Fascism 10(1). June 2021
Selected Publications
“Theologians, Poets, and Lone Wolves: Modeling Medium-Specific Processes of Radicalization,” International Journal of Communication 14(2020). March, 2020.
AU Experts
Area of Expertise
Political and religious terrorism, extremism, radicalization, far-right extremism
Additional Information
Brian Hughes is the co-founder and Associate Director of American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) and a Research Assistant Professor in the School of Public Affairs. His work focuses on developing evidence-based interventions to radicalization, extremism, polarization, and disinformation. He is frequently interviewed by local, national and international media outlets, including The Washington Post, NPR, Al Jazeera English, etc.