Smadar Shaul is a researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center and a PhD candidate in the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University.

Her research focuses on the spread of radical ideologies in localized settings, with a particular emphasis on the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In addition, she examines social processes within virtual spaces and their influence on behavior in the conventional sphere, especially with regard to violent behavior. In this context, she has explored the social dimensions of lone-actor attacks in Israel during 2015–2016.