Gavin G. Cook

I am a computational social scientist interested in the science of culture and the culture of science. I am specifically interested in how culture shapes emotion and knowledge production. My research brings together cultural evolution, historical psychology, and the science of science, using computational analysis of historical texts, scientific publications, and academic careers.

My current research draws on large collections of historical Latin and Chinese texts to investigate relationships among kinship, cultural change, and psychology. I also link large bibliometric databases to bespoke datasets to study how prestige, disciplinary siloing, and the outward identities of scientists influence the production, dissemination, and accumulation of scientific knowledge. I have previously worked on opinion diffusion on social media (Twitter / X) and traditional print media (The New York Times).

I received my PhD in Sociology from Princeton University.

I am additionally interested in human health optimization ('biohacking') and new media.