Derek Cabrera, Ph.D., PST®, PCLC

Derek Cabrera, PhD (Cornell), is a systems scientist and cognitive scientist whose research explores one of humanity's oldest questions—the relationship between mind and reality—through the discovery of the universal organizing primitives that structure both. Shaped equally by decades in academia and decades leading expeditions in the mountains, his work investigates how the organization of thought relates to the organization of the world, and how better models lead to better decisions under conditions of stress, complexity, and uncertainty. 

He is Professor and Chief Scientist of the Cabrera Research Lab (CRL), a scientific research organization dedicated to advancing the science of organization and public understanding of the science of systems thinking through research, education, media, and technology. From 2005 to 2026, Derek served on the faculty of Cornell University, where he held appointments in the College of Human Ecology, the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Executive Education, and the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. During his time at Cornell, he developed award-winning courses in systems thinking, served as Faculty Director of the Graduate Certificate in Systems Thinking, and founded the Cornell State of Systems Thinking International Conference (SSTIC), which grew to become the world's largest systems thinking conference.

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While at Cornell, Derek and his wife and research partner, Dr. Laura Cabrera, founded the Cabrera Research Lab. As their research gained international recognition, the Lab expanded beyond the university through scientific publications, books, executive education, software, public scholarship, and media. At the encouragement of their graduate students, Derek and Laura launched the Cabrera Lab Podcast to make the science of systems thinking accessible and bring its ideas to a broader audience. What began as an extension of their teaching and research has become the world's leading systems thinking podcast, now ranked among the top 1% of podcasts worldwide. In 2026, the Cabrera Research Lab and podcast studio relocated to Montana, where Derek and Laura now focus full-time on scientific research and advancing public understanding of systems thinking, the science of organization, and the science of thinking.

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In recognition of his contributions to the field, Derek was inducted in 2021 as a Member of the Academy of Systems Thinking (formerly IASCYS). In 2025, he was elected President of the Academy of Systems Thinking (AST), where he led the organization's modernization and strategic reorganization. He serves on the Systems Engineering Advisory Board of the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Academic Advisory Council of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), and the Science Board of the Systems Thinking Standards Institute (STSI), which develops evidence-based standards for Professional Systems Thinking. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Systems Thinking and Systems.

He is a Black Belt Certified Professional Systems Thinker® (PST), a former Research Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI), and a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow in Nonlinear Systems in Cornell University's Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. His research on cognitive and ontological universals has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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As co-founder and Chief Scientist of the Cabrera Research Lab, Derek leads a research program dedicated to discovering the universal organizing primitives that structure both mind and reality, empirically testing their predictive and practical effects, and translating those discoveries into practical methods for improving human thinking, learning, leadership, decision-making, and change. He is best known for discovering the cognitive and ontological universals formalized in O-Theory and DSRP Theory, as well as the organizational universals described by VMCL Theory. He developed the Professional Systems Thinking Skills Assessment (PST-SA), the first scientifically validated assessment of systems thinking skills. He is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Candidate (PCLC), and his current research bridges systems science and mental health through the development of O-Therapy, a systems-based approach to psychotherapy in which clients actively organize and transform their own thinking, and through systems models for understanding and treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His discoveries have influenced education, organizational leadership, systems engineering, public policy, decision science, and mental health and are used by organizations and institutions around the world.

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Derek has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and eleven books, including the award-winning Systems Thinking Made Simple, Thinking at Every Desk, Flock Not Clock, and his newest books, Connect the Dots and Oneness. He co-edited the Handbook of Systems Thinking, has delivered two TED Talks, holds three U.S. patents, authored a rap song, written several children's books introducing complex cognition to young learners, and was made an honorary tribal Chief for his work with orphanages in Africa. His work has been featured in peer-reviewed journals, trade publications, and the full-length documentary RE:Thinking, documenting the application of his work in schools.

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Committed to making scientific discoveries broadly accessible and practically useful, Derek developed systems thinking programs for LinkedIn Learning and eCornell and co-founded Plectica, where he led the development of innovative software for systems mapping and visual thinking. His work in Object-Oriented Thinking and related visualization tools makes invisible organization visible, enabling individuals and teams to model complexity, understand structure, and make better decisions. As a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow, he advanced systems approaches to STEM evaluation and received the AAC&U K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award. His research and methods are used by universities, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, military organizations, educational institutions, and elite performers, including Cornell University, the United States Military Academy at West Point, special operations communities, and the U.S. Army War College.

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Beyond research, Derek has more than 35 years of experience as a mountain guide, leading expeditions around the world with Outward Bound and other organizations. As employee #2, he helped found the Montana Conservation Corps and later supported its connection to the restorative justice movement. He continues to guide part-time and lives in Montana with Laura, their children, and their dogs.

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