Our team
Who we are
A brief introduction to the people behind the research here at Effective Self-Help.
We recently concluded a hiring round and so we do not currently have any open positions. However, we are hoping to expand significantly further in the near future and welcome expressions of interest. Additionally, if you would be interested in supporting our work as a volunteer, you can reach out to us at info@effectiveselfhelp.org.
Ben Williamson
Founder & Director
Launched Effective Self-Help in October 2021. Ben has previously held a wide variety of roles, including work for Clearer Thinking, Animal Ask, and Charity Entrepreneurship.
Manon Gouiran
Research Lead
Completed a Advanced Research Masters in Psychology. Currently doing research into moral psychology alongside her work for ESH, as well as running an EA group.
Manon‘s first research report for Effective Self-Help will assess the most effective techniques for managing and minimising procrastination.
Raphaël Pesah
Research Intern
Raphaël is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences at ENS-PSL University.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University, where he founded the EA student group. He has been actively involved in the French EA community since 2016.
Alumni
Megan Cansfield
Researcher
Megan is a lifelong personal development enthusiast and has been engaged with Effective Altruism since 2019.
Following an MA in China Studies from the Yenching Academy of Peking University, she has previously conducted research for a diverse range of governmental and academic institutions.
Mana Afsari
Content Specialist
Mana has previously developed content, curriculums, and advocacy campaigns for the U.S. Department of State and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
She has studied Classics at the University of Southern California and at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge.