Mahzarin R. Banaji

Mahzarin R. Banaji was born and raised in Secunderabad, India, to a Parsi family, an ethno-religious minority group in the country. In her 20s, she moved to the United States to pursue graduate studies in psychology, later earning a PhD at Ohio State University.

“I packed up my bags at age 24 — with 80 dollars in my pocket — and said, ‘I’m going to America.’ Humans have always been on the move. And we’re constantly fighting against others and fearing others… but also collaborating with them,” she told El País.

Banaji, now a Harvard professor and experimental psychologist, has helped reshape our understanding of implicit bias, showing how unconscious attitudes can influence perceptions and decision-making. This interest in how prejudice forms was sparked in part by her cross-cultural upbringing. In 1998, she codeveloped the Implicit Association Test (IAT) with Anthony Greenwald to measure such biases. Since then, implicit bias has become a widely recognized concept, with more than 40 million people globally taking the IAT to explore associations related to race, gender, class, and more.

Together with Greenwald, Banaji also coauthored the bestselling book Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, and her work has informed training across hospitals, courts, government agencies, universities, and corporations. She also helped launch Outsmarting Human Minds, a free online resource, and a Harvard course exploring hidden bias and how the human mind shapes decisions.

Banaji’s vast contributions to social justice and public education have been recognized with the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award and the American Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions, among other honors.

Published June 2026