BASIC | British American Security Information Council
BASIC is an independent, non-profit think tank working to safeguard humanity and Earth’s ecosystem from nuclear risks and interconnected security threats, for generations to come. Our vision is for a global security consensus founded on multilateralism, the recognition of the indivisibility of security, an adherence to Earth’s planetary boundaries, and the consideration of future generations
For nearly 40 years, we have developed a global reputation for groundbreaking dialogue and incisive thought leadership to strengthen international peace and security. We comprise an intellectually and culturally diverse team of 20 expert-practitioners with deep and wide-ranging institutional experience, headquartered in London with additional presences in Berlin and Rome. We are independent, receive no core funding from any state, and our project work is funded transparently.
BASIC’s approach to resolving contemporary nuclear dynamics is centred on dialogue as both a practice and a philosophy. We interpret dialogue broadly, recognising that meaningful engagement takes many forms: from facilitating direct strategic conversations between adversaries grounded in conflict resolution principles, to developing networks and diplomatic initiatives that build consensus around shared objectives, to shaping the intellectual foundations of policy discourse through rigorous research and thought leadership.
BASIC is a fast-paced and rewarding environment in which to work, with an exceptionally-positive and inclusive team culture. We have experienced rapid growth over the past decade, and we are well-suited to people who are motivated by our mission, able to work at a sustained pace, keen to develop professionally, and enjoy being part of a collaborative team working on consequential issues.
Contact information
BASIC | British American Security Information Council
Work + Play
111 Seven Sisters Rd
Finsbury Park,
London
N7 7FN
Phone: +44 (0) 20 3488 6974
Website: https://www.basicint.org/
The team
| Contacts | Resume | Specialty |
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Dr Rabia Akhtar Non-Resident Fellow
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● Non-Proliferation ● Nuclear South Asia ● International Security |
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Dr Manuel Herrera Almela Senior Policy Fellow and Programme Manager, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Programme
Email: [email protected] |
Dr Manuel Herrera is a Senior Policy Fellow at BASIC, the Programme Manager of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Programme, and the Project Manager of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Monitor project. Manuel conducts research in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament, with a specific expertise on the Iranian nuclear programme and nuclear diplomacy in the context of the NPT. Previously, Manuel was Research Fellow in the Multilateralism and Global Governance programme at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI, Rome), where he co-managed IAI’s activities within the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC). He was also a research assistant in the nuclear security programme at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi, India; worked at the Office of Geopolitical Analysis of the Spanish Ministry of Defence; and was an EUNPDC intern within the “Next Generation” programme at the Institute for Foreign and International Policy (INCIPE) in Madrid. Finally, Manuel was a non-doctoral fellow at the Centre for International Studies in Lisbon, and a visiting researcher at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. Manuel has published The European Union’s Nuclear Non-proliferation Policy: Performance and Contestation with Routledge (available here). He is also a regular contributor to magazines, newspapers, and academic publications, and a consultant to the strategic offices of various government ministries, dealing with the issues mentioned above. He holds a Master’s degree in International Security from the Institute of International Studies of Barcelona (IBEI) and a PhD from the King Juan Carlos University of Madrid in the Social and Legal Sciences programme, specialising in Public International Law and International Relations. |
● Nuclear Non-Proliferation ● Iranian Nuclear Programme ● Non-Proliferation Treaty |
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Joanna Barry Human Resources and Operations Assistant |
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Sebastian Brixey-Williams Executive Director
Tel: +44 20 3488 6974
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Sebastian Brixey-Williams is the Executive Director of The British American Security Information Council (BASIC) and an Honorary Research Associate at the School of Government at the University of Birmingham. He was a 2024-2025 Research Fellow at the Project on Managing the Atom at the Harvard Kennedy School. Sebastian’s research and practice centres around how to ensure that nuclear-armed states manage their nuclear weapons in as legal, morally responsible, and transparent manner as possible while advancing multilateral efforts towards a more sustainable global security system that does not rely on nuclear deterrence. Sebastian regularly advises world-leading forums for discussion on nuclear weapons policy and diplomacy, including the P5/N5 Process, the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, and three All-Party Parliamentary Groups in the British Parliament. From 2023-2024, he served as one of three British delegates to the Expert Level Track to the P5/N5 Process. |
● Risk Reduction ● Nuclear Disarmament ● International Organisations |
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Laura Rose Brown Non-Resident Fellow |
Laura Rose Brown is a Non-Resident Fellow at BASIC and PhD student at the University of Leeds. As part of an ESRC funded collaborative studentship, Laura Rose is conducting PhD research on gender and nuclear weapons. Her research traces the increased focus on gender in nuclear weapons policy to identify the goals and effects of these efforts. Through her continued work with BASIC, Laura Rose is working to develop policy oriented outputs related to her scholarly research into the intersection of gender and nuclear weapons. Laura Rose’s most recent peer-reviewed publication explores what ‘gender-sensitivity’ means in relation to nuclear weapons policy. The article published by International Affairs is available here. Before joining BASIC as Policy Fellow and later – Non-Resident Fellow, Laura Rose was an intern at BASIC within our programmes on Gender, Youth and Diversity and Nuclear Responsibilities. She holds an MA in International Security with cum laude honours (Sciences Po Paris), an MA in Social Research with distinction (University of Leeds) and a BA in Political Science (Sciences Po Paris). |
● Gender ● Nuclear Order ● Disarmament |
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Dr Lyndon Burford Policy Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Dr Lyndon Burford is a Policy Fellow in the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Programme at BASIC and Project Manager of the Nuclear Transparency Inventory (NUTRI). His research focuses on the relationships between nuclear politics and multilateral treaties, nuclear weapons postures and practices, and emerging and/or disruptive technologies like AI. He served as an advisor on the delegation of Aotearoa-New Zealand to the ninth NPT Review Conference in 2015. For 2024-27, Lyndon is also a Constructive Advanced Thinking Fellow with the European Network of Institutes for Advanced Studies, working on a collaborative research project, “Theories of Change for Nuclear Disarmament”. This interdisciplinary partnership seeks to advance the logically coherent and empirically grounded theorisation of nuclear disarmament. Lyndon has a PhD in international relations from the University of Auckland, Aotearoa-New Zealand. He has published chapters on nuclear policy and (forthcoming, 2025) nuclear history, research articles in Global Change, Peace and Security and The Nonproliferation Review (where his essay was awarded the McElvany Prize from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey), and a range of research reports and newspaper and magazine articles on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, nuclear verification, and distributed ledger technologies. Before joining BASIC, Lyndon was a consultant to the FutureSafe programme of the Nuclear Threat Initiative; a postdoctoral fellow at King’s College London; a research associate with the Horizon 2045 initiative; and a blockchain advisor on the New Technologies for Peace working group of the Vatican COVID-19 Commission. Languages: English, French |
● Nuclear Disarmament ● Emerging and Disruptive Technologies ● Multilateral Governance |
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Paul Carroll Member, Board of Trustees |
Paul Carroll is an independent consultant. Formerly, he was Director of the Charity & Security Network, responsible for overall organisational management of the network, its staff, and strategy setting with respect to its issues and policy advocacy. Before that, he spent seventeen years at the Ploughshares Fund, a public foundation that works to eliminate the risks from nuclear weapons, and as the Director of Nuclear Security Partnerships at N Square, a funders collaborative that sought to foster innovation and collaboration into the nuclear security sector. | |
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Dr Chiara Cervasio Policy Fellow and Programme Manager, Nuclear Responsibilities Programme
Email: [email protected] |
Chiara is a Policy Fellow and Programme Manager of the Programme on Nuclear Responsibilities at BASIC. Chiara’s expertise includes nuclear diplomacy, trust-building practices, nuclear risk reduction, and crisis management and de-escalation practices, particularly in Southern Asia. Chiara’s research focuses on security dynamics between nuclear-armed states in the Asia-Pacific, especially India-China and India-Pakistan relations, as well as Arctic security dynamics. Chiara has published in high impact journals and regularly writes policy briefs and reports on these topics. Chiara has presented her work at policy forums such as the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), Wilton Park, and the Department of National Defence (DND) of Canada. Additionally, she has presented at conferences like ISODARCO, BISA, ISPP, and ECPR. In 2023, her paper “Exercising Status Recognition Sensibility: The Empathic De-escalation of the Sino-Indian 1998 Status Dilemma,” published in International Relations, received the Best Paper Prize at the Italian Standing Group of International Relations (SGRI) Conference. Chiara holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Birmingham. Her PhD focused on distrust reduction and crisis management in contemporary China-India relations. In addition, Chiara holds a first-class Master from the University of Bologna in International Security and a first-class degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Pisa. |
● Nuclear Diplomacy ● Trust-Building ● China-India and India-Pakistan Relations ● Nuclear Policy in Southern Asia ● Arctic Security Relations |
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Dr Andrew Cottey Member, Board of Trustees |
Andrew Cottey is Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Integration at University College, Cork. He previously worked at the Dept of Peace Studies, University of Bradford; the EastWest Institute; Saferworld; and BASIC. | |
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Dave Cullen Policy Fellow and Programme Manager, Emerging Voices Network
Email: [email protected] |
Dave is a Policy Fellow at BASIC and Programme Manager of our Emerging Voices Network. He joined BASIC after eight years at the Nuclear Information Service (NIS), where he was the Director. Dave is an expert on the UK nuclear weapons programme, frequently quoted in the press and cited in research. His own publications have covered programmatic and technical problems within the programme, plans for the new UK and US warheads, and the costs of the programme. His work focuses on the interrelationship between technology, policy and politics in relation to weapon systems and disarmament. Prior to working at NIS, he was a researcher for the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons. He is co-chair of the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s NGO forum and chair of trustees at the Conflict and Environment Observatory. |
● UK Nuclear Weapons ● UK-US Cooperation ● Disarmament |
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Fawad Dar Treasurer, Board of Trustees |
Fawad Dar is a seasoned Senior Finance Leader with over 14 years of expertise in financial management, strategic planning, and business transformation across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. As Financial Controller for EMEA at Aviat Networks, he manages finance operations for 20+ global legal entities, driving improvements in governance, compliance, and operational efficiency. His prior experience includes senior positions at TPXimpact, Liberty Global, and MYSHON LTD, where he led financial integrations, optimized processes, and enhanced financial reporting accuracy. | |
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Mirani de Silva Finance Assistant |
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Stanislava Dimitrova Communications Intern |
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Chiara Fargnoli Policy Intern |
Chiara is a policy intern working in the EVN programme. Prior to BASIC, Chiara was a research associate and event coordinator at the Belfer Center at Managing the Atom, where she focused on missile defense in the European theater. She completed her Master’s degree at the Fletcher School-Tufts University in International Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Emerging technologies. She also completed a mediation training from the Harvard Mediation Program, through which she co-mediated small claim cases in Massachusetts’s courts. Chiara’s interest lies in the intersection between nuclear deterrence and non-proliferation, with a growing focus on space governance and the implications of anti-satellite weapons (ASATs) for international security and strategic stability. |
● Nuclear Diplomacy ● Europe ● Non-Proliferation |
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Jennie Gromoll Member, Board of Trustees |
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Helena Harding Chair, Board of Trustees |
Helena is a Non-Executive Director with executive and board level experience and a specialist in organisational development and programme leadership. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and a Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management. She has worked within both blue chip PLCs and the public sector, including Radioactive Waste Management Limited (RWM), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). | |
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Ambassador Thomas Hajnoczi Member, Board of Trustees |
Thomas is the Former Head of Disarmament Department in Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Former Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations in Geneva. | |
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Dr Matthew Hartwell Policy Fellow |
Dr Matthew Hartwell is a Policy Fellow in the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Programme at The British American Security Information Council (BASIC). He is also an associate with the Project on Managing the Atom at the Harvard Kennedy School. Matthew’s expertise includes nuclear strategy, arms control, and the humanitarian impacts of nuclear war. He holds a PhD in International Relations from American University’s School of International Service, where his dissertation focused on the evolution of population protection in American Cold War-era nuclear policy. While completing his doctorate, Matthew was a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Hans J. Morgenthau Fellow at the Notre Dame International Security Center. |
● Nuclear Strategy ● Risk Reduction ● Humanitarian Impacts |
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Laicie Heeley Member, Board of Trustees |
Laicie is the founder and editor of Inkstick and the host and executive producer of the PRX- and Inkstick-produced podcast, Things That Go Boom. She is also a Partner with the Truman National Security Project. | |
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Daniel Johnson Member, Board of Trustees |
A respected growth marketing expert, Daniel Johnson excels at boosting startups and established firms. As a BASIC Board Member, he uses his diverse innovation and public relations skills to advance their mission: protecting humanity and the environment from nuclear and security threats and fostering a safer, more secure world. | |
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Dr Togzhan Kassenova Member, Board of Trustees |
Togzhan is an expert on nuclear politics, WMD nonproliferation, strategic trade controls, sanctions implementation, and financial crime prevention. From 2011 to 2015 Kassenova served on the UN secretary general’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters. | |
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Ingrid Kirsten Non-Resident Fellow |
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Dr Sara Z Kutchesfahani Member, Board of Trustees |
Sara is an independent consultant specialising in research, analysis, strategy, and philanthropy. She previously served as the Director of Programs at Ploughshares — the largest US foundation singularly focused on reducing the threat of nuclear weapons. A PhD in Political Science from University College London, Sara has more than 20 years of Nuclear Non-Proliferation experience in academic, policy, non-profit, and philanthropy settings. She is the author of Global Nuclear Order (Routledge: 2019) and Politics and the Bomb: The Role of Experts in the Creation of Cooperative Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreements (Routledge: 2014), as well as numerous scholarly and policy articles. | |
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James Madeley Member, Board of Trustees |
James is an experienced Human Resources professional and currently is HR Director for Portland, a communications company. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. | |
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Mhairi McClafferty Policy Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Mhairi is a Policy Fellow at BASIC where she works on the BASIC-ICCS Nuclear Responsibilities Programme. She also works with BASIC’s project on Risk Reduction in the Arctic. Mhairi’s research interests include nuclear diplomacy, conflict resolution and exploring the impacts of nuclear weapons from humanitarian and gender perspectives. Prior to joining BASIC, Mhairi was a Project Intern at UN House Scotland on the Human Rights and Nuclear Disarmament projects. She holds a Master’s in Diplomacy and International Security and a Bachelor’s degree in History. She also participated in the Erasmus Exchange Programme, attending the University of Groningen during her undergraduate studies. |
● Nuclear Diplomacy ● Humanitarian Impacts ● Gender |
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Kameka McLean Member, Board of Trustees |
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Ruhee Neog Non-Resident Fellow
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● Crisis Decision-Making ● Nuclear Strategy ● Indian Foreign Policy |
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Bernard O’Brien Strategic Finance Manager |
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Anahita Parsa Policy Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Anahita Parsa is a Policy Fellow on the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Programme at BASIC, working on both the development of the NPT Monitor, and a framework for Nuclear Weapon Harm Reduction. Previously, she co-coordinated the Emerging Voices Network at BASIC, and served as Clerk to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Security and Non-Proliferation. She was also Programme Manager at the Middle East Treaty Organization, working on the establishment of a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone, amongst her other work in collaboration with the United Nations’ UN75 initiative, and as Advocacy Manager at SCRAPWeapons. Anahita focuses on nuclear diplomacy, disarmament, and the global nuclear order, with regional expertise on the Middle East. She is interested in the application of futures and foresight methods, and also exploring intersectional approaches (e.g. gender, decolonial thought) to practices of peace and diplomacy, and their implications for nuclear policymaking. She has an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy, from the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London, having previously completed her BA in Politics and International Relations at SOAS. Languages: English, Farsi/Persian, Spanish |
● Nuclear Diplomacy ● Nuclear Disarmament ● Global Nuclear Order |
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Falguni Patel Head of Human Resources and Operations |
● Operations ● Human Resources ● Communications |
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Declan Penrose Policy Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Declan Penrose is a Policy Fellow at BASIC where he works on the Emerging Voices Network. Declan was previously the Online Coordinator at Youth for TPNW and part of their policy team. Declan holds a BA in Human Geography and International Politics, and an MA in International Politics from Aberystwyth University. He also has an MRes in Gender Studies from the University of Chester. Declan is currently doing a PhD at the University of Manchester. Declan’s primary interests are nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, feminist security studies, and postcolonial studies. Declan also has a keen interest in inclusivity, diplomacy, and the role of civil society in nuclear policy making and peacebuilding. Declan’s PhD project analyses the affective economies of the UK nuclear disarmament movement. |
● Nuclear Disarmament ● Gender ● Non-Proliferation |
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Richard Reeve Non-Resident Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Richard Reeve is Non-Resident Fellow at BASIC and has been Coordinator of Rethinking Security, a network of UK-based NGOs, academics, practitioners and activists working to reframe UK security narratives and policy, since October 2019. BASIC and Rethinking Security work together on the project ‘Turning Point: Realising a Sustainable Security Architecture in Europe’, which works with states and experts across Europe to create a model for security that addresses the interconnectedness of climate change, conflict and human security. Richard’s work is at the interface of peacebuilding, strategic studies and environmentalism. For the last decade his research and advocacy has focused primarily on UK defence and security policy, including military posture and presence, military expenditure, and climate security. Currently, he leads the Alternative Security Review project to produce a Human Security Strategy to guide and inspire future UK policy-making. From 2013 to 2019, he worked with Oxford Research Group as its Coordinator and Chief Executive, directing its Sustainable Security Programme, and developing its strategic peacebuilding work with partners in Yemen, Palestine and Israel. Previously, he worked with international peacebuilding organisations managing research into security, justice and governance in countries including Georgia, Liberia, Nepal and South Sudan. As an Africa-focused conflict researcher, he has also been a fellow of Chatham House Africa Programme and King’s College London’s War Studies department, and an editor and analyst with Jane’s Information Group and other risk consultancies. He has worked with the African Union, ECOWAS, the Arab League, the European Union and the OSCE, including as an election observer in five Eurasian countries. He has various degrees from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London (International and Comparative Law), London School of Economics (LSE) (International Relations) and the University of Edinburgh (History; Politics), none of which is a PhD. |
● Human Security ● Dialogue ● Geopolitics |
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Eva-Nour Repussard Policy Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Eva-Nour Repussard is a Policy Fellow at BASIC, where she works on the Nuclear Responsibilities programme. She is a leading expert on emerging and disruptive technologies, and ballistic missile proliferation, with a particular focus on their implications for strategic stability and international security. She holds a MA from King’s College London in Intelligence and International Security and a BA (Hons) in International Relations from the University of Birmingham and Fudan University in Shanghai. Eva-Nour’s analysis has notably been presented at the United Nations Office in Vienna, the Austrian MFA (BMEIA), the French MFA (MEAE), and at the Hague Code of Conduct (HCoC) Regional Meeting in Djibouti. She is regularly invited to speak at high-level international forums, including NATO’s 5th Early-Career Nuclear Strategists Workshop, the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Conference (EUNPDC), CSIS PONI Winter Conference, and the UK PONI Annual Conference, where she has shared policy-relevant research on topics ranging from cyber threats to strategic stability to missile proliferation dynamics. Her latest commentary, ‘Nuclear Posture and Cyber Threats: Why Deterrence by Punishment Is Not Credible and What to Do About It’ published by the European Leadership Network, argues that the UK’s nuclear posture, which threatens nuclear retaliation against severe cyber-attacks, lacks credibility due to challenges in attributing cyber incidents and the high threshold for kinetic responses, and recommends enhancing cyber resilience and adopting a deterrence-by-denial strategy instead. Languages: English, French |
● Strategic Stability ● Nuclear Strategy ● Emerging Technologies |
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Balvinder Sangha Member, Board of Trustees |
Balvinder is the Managing Director of Endo Enterprises, a chemical manufacturing company specialising in water treatment solutions, with over 20 years of leadership experience in global resourcing and consulting. As a strategic board advisor, he has played a key role in driving transformational change across industries, government, and the nonprofit sector in the UK and internationally. His experience includes resourcing and consulting for major UK infrastructure projects such as the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority, the Major Projects Authority, and the Geological Disposal Facility. Balvinder is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Freeman of the City of London, and a Liveryman. | |
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Ching Wei Sooi Policy Intern |
Ching Wei is a Policy Intern at BASIC, where he works on the Nuclear Responsibilities Programme. Prior to that, he has served as a rapporteur for Wilton Park, worked as a Graduate Professional with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research’s Space Security and WMD Programmes, and interned with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs under the Office of the Director. His work focuses primarily on space and nuclear weapons issues. Broader research interests include other emerging and disruptive technologies, as well as multilateral processes and international organisations. He has spoken on these topics at events organised by, for instance, the UK Project on Nuclear Issues, and presented at the Alva Myrdal Centre’s Multidisciplinary Conference. Ching Wei has also published with, among others, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, Wilton Park, and the Secure World Foundation. For instance, his report on the Direct-Ascent Anti-Satellite Missiles Moratorium and Resolution has been cited by think tanks and journal articles, and was translated into Portuguese for greater reach. He holds a MA in Peace, Security and International Law from King’s College London, graduating with distinction, as well as a BA (Hons) in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Western Australia. In addition, Ching Wei has participated in fellowships with the SIPRI Summer School in Sweden, and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Centre at KAIST university in South Korea. |
● Outer Space ● Nuclear Diplomacy ● Emerging and Disruptive Technologies |
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Chris Spedding Non-Resident Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Chris Spedding is a Non-Resident Fellow at BASIC, having left his former role of Policy Fellow to set up Loop Works. Chris is an independent scholar working at the intersection of nuclear weapons, civil nuclear applications, security, space, and technology policy. He is particularly interested in the ways in which technologies interact with society, and the downstream implications of that for security. He holds masters degrees in mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, and is soon to finish his PhD in Nuclear Applications for Space. He has a wide range of experience, working for government and in the third sector, and leverages that experience to inform his approach to research, including futures and foresight. He has published in peer-reviewed journals, and for BASIC. |
● Emerging Technologies ● Futures and Foresight ● Disarmament |
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Dr Alice Spillman Policy Fellow
Email: [email protected]
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Dr Alice Spilman is a Policy Fellow within the Programme on Nuclear Responsibilities and an ESRC-funded PhD student based in the University of Birmingham’s Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security, commencing in September 2018. Her research interests include conceptions of nuclear responsibility and the possibility of empathy in conflict transformation. She completed an MSc in Global Cooperation and Security at the University of Birmingham in 2017, following a BA in Politics from Newcastle University. |
● Non-Proliferation Treaty ● Nuclear Diplomacy ● Nuclear History |
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Dr Gry Thomasen Research Director
Email: [email protected] |
Dr Gry Thomasen is Research Director at BASIC (British American Security Information Council) and Programme Director of BASIC’s programme on Risk Reduction. She is an expert in NATO, including NATO-Russia relations, nuclear non-proliferation and the Arctic and she leads BASIC’s work in these areas. Gry has published in high impact journals such as Marine Policy and International Journal, and she is the co-editor of The Palgrave Handbook of Non-State Actors in East-West Relations (forthcoming). She has also authored policy reports and policy briefs providing advice directly to governments. Gry holds a PhD in Cold War history from the University of Copenhagen and was awarded a postdoc grant by the Carlsberg Foundation and the Danish Ministry of Defence to undertake research into nuclear non-proliferation at the Danish Institute for International Studies. Prior to joining BASIC, she has also been Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Cold War History Research Centre in Budapest and a Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Science and Security Studies, King’s College, London. Gry has been a delegated researcher for several white books on international security and Greenland, she has been consultant of draft bills on nuclear non-proliferation and export controls, and she has given evidence to standing committees in the Danish Parliament on international security and the Arctic. In addition, Gry has participated as an expert at IAEA conferences, EU Non-Proliferation Consortium and the NPT Review Conference. Gry also holds an MA in History with Russian from University of Copenhagen and a BA in History and Russian from Moscow State University (MGU) and Copenhagen University. |
● NATO-Russia ● Risk Reduction ● Arctic ● Non-Proliferation |
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Dr Lisa Vickers Policy Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Dr Lisa Vickers is a Policy Fellow at BASIC where she works in the Risk Reduction programme. Her research interests are in gendered and human security approaches to risk reduction and disarmament. In addition to her role at BASIC, Lisa is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge. Since 2020, she has participated in UN Women activities as a National Gender Youth Activist. Additionally, Lisa is a Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Next Generation Ambassador. She has also contributed to several projects relating to gender and disarmament with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. Lisa holds a PhD in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge. Her PhD thesis focused on the Women’s Equality Party and its struggle to utilise its standing as a political party to ensure that women’s interests are represented throughout the British political landscape and beyond. She has presented her research at academic conferences in Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In addition, Lisa holds an MPhil degree from the University of Cambridge in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut where she majored in History and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and minored in Human Rights. |
● Risk Reduction ● Gender ● Disarmament |
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Professor Nicholas J. Wheeler Non-Resident Senior Fellow
Email: [email protected] |
Nicholas J. Wheeler is Non-Resident Senior Fellow at BASIC and a Professor of International Relations and former Director of the Institute for Conflict, Cooperation, and Security at the University of Birmingham. His publications include (with Ken Booth) The Security Dilemma: Fear, Cooperation, and Trust in World Politics (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008) and Saving Strangers: Humanitarian Intervention in International Society (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000). His new book Trusting Enemies: Interpersonal Relationships in International Conflict was published by Oxford University Press in March 2018. His book Saving Strangers has 2,229 Google Scholar Citations (his total number of citations is 6,961). He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in the United Kingdom, a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, and has had an entry in Who’s Who since 2011. In his career, he has supervised to successful completion twenty-six PhDs. He co-edits with Professors Christian Reus-Smit and Evelyn Goh the Cambridge Series in International Relations, one of the most prestigious book series in the field of International Relations. |
● Trust-Building ● Security Dilemma ● Nuclear Order |