Dr. Jillian Peterson is a nationally recognized Forensic Psychologist and the Executive Director of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center. Her work sits at the intersection of data, psychology, and public safety—translating complex research into real-world strategies to reduce violence. Dr. Peterson began her career as a special investigator in New York City, delving into the life histories of men facing the death penalty. Since earning her PhD in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine, she has led groundbreaking studies on mass shootings, school shootings, political assassinations, and the role of social media in facilitating violence. She served as Principal Investigator on a landmark three-year Department of Justice-funded study into the lives of mass shooters, which culminated in the award-winning book The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic. Her research is regularly featured by major media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, and NPR, and is shaping national conversations on violence prevention.