Dr. Mario Mikulincer is a distinguished social psychologist and leading authority in attachment theory and terror management research. He currently serves as Professor of Psychology at Reichman University, formerly known as the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, where he was Dean of the School of Psychology from 2007 and served as Vice President for Academic Affairs from 2014 to 2017. Born in Santa Fe, Argentina, he immigrated to Israel at the age of 19 and completed his doctoral studies in psychology at Bar-Ilan University in 1985. Demonstrating exceptional academic promise, he was appointed professor at Bar-Ilan University at age 35, becoming the youngest professor in the field of psychology at the institution. Prior to his tenure at Reichman University, he held various leadership positions at Bar-Ilan including department head and Director of the MA Experimental Psychology Program.
Dr. Mikulincer's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of adult attachment styles and their profound implications for human behavior and mental health. His seminal work exploring the connections between attachment theory and terror management theory has established new theoretical frameworks that bridge previously disparate areas of psychological inquiry. He has pioneered research demonstrating how attachment patterns influence romantic relationships, sexual behavior, trauma response, and coping mechanisms across diverse populations. His investigations into the malleability of attachment styles have revealed how encounters with secure relationship figures can foster safer communication patterns and emotional regulation. This body of work, comprising hundreds of research publications, has provided critical insights into personality processes in interpersonal relationships with significant implications for clinical psychology and therapeutic interventions.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Mikulincer has been instrumental in advancing psychological science through leadership roles and professional recognition. He was awarded the prestigious EMET Prize in 2004 for his outstanding contributions to personality and social psychology, followed by the Berscheid-Hatfield Award for Distinguished Mid-Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationship Research in 2006. As a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science since 2007, he has helped shape the field's methodological standards and research priorities. Dr. Mikulincer co-founded the Peleg-Billig Center for the Study of the Quality of Family Life in 1996 and has coordinated the Herzliya Prize for Social Psychology since 2008, continuing to influence the next generation of psychological researchers while expanding his investigations into evolutionary psychology and trauma responses.
