Jason Blazakis is a professor at MIIS, where he focuses on threat financing, sanctions, violent extremism, and special operations related research.  He is also the Director of MIIS’s Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, where he directs research on domestic terrorism, terrorism finance, recruitment, propaganda and the use of special operations to counter transnational threats.

From 2008 – 2018, he served as the Director of the Counterterrorism Finance and Designations Office, Bureau of Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State.  In his former role, Blazakis was responsible for directing efforts to designate countries, organizations and individuals as terrorists, also known as State Sponsors of Terrorism, Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.  Blazakis previously held positions in the Department of State’s Political-Military Affairs, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Intelligence and Research Bureaus, and at U.S. Embassy Kabul.  Prior to working at the Department of State, Blazakis served as a domestic intelligence analyst at the Congressional Research Service.  In addition, he was the national security adviser to a United States Congressional Representative.  He also has worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration.