His research focuses on the dynamics of armed conflict, the behavior of rebel organizations, and post-conflict institution building. He has special expertise on the Horn of Africa region, where he has travelled extensively. His research has been published in Terrorism and Political Violence, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, and is forthcoming in a number of edited volumes, and he has been a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Bradley Foundation, the Truman National Security Project, and a research specialist with the Innovations for Successful Societies program at Princeton University.