Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age

We are delighted to announce the 2025 cohort of the Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age Fellows Scheme.

We received 119 applications, and have selected 20 promising candidates to join the year long fellows scheme in order to develop their research and impact in nuclear arms control and disarmament. The Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age Fellows are based in 14 different countries, and include PhD researchers, early career academics, policy practitioners, and diplomats.

Throughout 2025 the fellows will attend regular meetings with each other and the project team, explore career development opportunities, and share their work on our blog.

We are excited to introduce:

Mahmoud Javadi – Doctoral Researcher, Center for Security, Diplomacy & Strategy (CSDS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Mahmoud Javadi is a doctoral researcher within the Center for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy at the Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. He is involved in the European Research Council-funded project “Competition in the Digital Era: Geopolitics and Technology in the 21st Century” (CODE). Before this, he was an AI Governance Researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) in the Netherlands, contributing to the EU-funded (Horizon Europe) research project “Reignite Multilateralism via Technology” (REMIT). He also has experience with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focused on EU external relations. He holds a Master of Arts in Transnational Governance from the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy.

Anahita Parsa – Policy Fellow, BASIC

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 Weapons Harm Reduction. Previously, she co-coordinated the Emerging Voices Network, and served as Clerk to the APPG on Global Security and Non-Proliferation. She was also Programme Manager at METO, working on the establishment of a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone. Anahita focuses on nuclear diplomacy, disarmament, and the global nuclear order, with regional expertise on MENA. She is interested in the application of futures and foresight methods, and exploring intersectional approaches (e.g. gender, decolonial thought) to practices of peacebuilding and diplomacy, and their implications for nuclear policymaking. She has previously presented her work at the BISA Annual Conference, UN75, and the LSE Archives Series, amongst others.  She has an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy, from the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London.

Rhys Lewis-Jones – PhD candidate, Cardiff University

Rhys Lewis-Jones is a PhD candidate at Cardiff University’s school of Law and Politics. His PhD thesis centres on the existential dimensions of nuclear politics and renewed great-power competition. His background is in military history and strategic studies but seeks to bridge this knowledge-base with critical nuclear approaches. His forthcoming article ‘Global Nuclear Control: addressing Humanity’s failure to establish Existential Security’ develops the nascent theoretical framework of existential security in a nuclear politics context, also investigating radical plans for disarmament. This involves distinguishing this nascent framework from the national security and human security paradigms. His other research interests include nonstrategic nuclear weapons (NSNWs) and nuclear strategy more broadly. He is drafting a strategic studies article entitled ‘(Un)limited Nuclear Use: Escalate-to-deescalate in Hot War Scenarios’.

Ying Li – Graduate Research Assistant of James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies

Ying Li is a Graduate Research Assistant at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Ying holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Tsinghua University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Currently pursuing a second master’s degree in nuclear nonproliferation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Ying used to be as an intern at the Chinese Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA) and was selected by the 2023 SIPRI Summer School. Ying was also invited to global forums like the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference and the ISODARCO Arms Control School. Her research interests include arms control, nuclear security, and the impact of emerging technologies, especially AI and hypersonic weapons.

Dr Karly Burch – Lecturer, Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland

Dr Karly Burch (she/her) is a lecturer in sociology at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. She is a settler scholar who works at the intersection of science and technology studies (STS), agrifood studies, and critical nuclear studies. Her current research projects explore the material politics of nuclear waste, artificially intelligent robotics in agriculture, and collaborative research for sustainable technofutures. Karly received a PhD in sociology from the University of Otago and an MSc in agroecology from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and ISARA-Lyon. She is a member of the Science and Technology Studies Food and Agriculture Network (STSFAN) and co-convener of the Feminist, Anti-Colonial, Anti-Imperial, Nuclear Gathering (FACING Nuclear).

Franco Castro Escobar – PhD Candidate, Keele University

Franco Castro Escobar is a PhD candidate at Keele University’s David Bruce Center for the Study of the Americas and a research fellow at the Hiroshima Peace Institute. His research focuses on youth involvement in nuclear disarmament, aiming to better understand how and why young people join or create anti-nuclear youth-based organizations in a decades-long movement that has “grayed”—having less and less young people join the movement. Franco is creating the first anti-nuclear youth oral history archive, documenting the stories of young activists to help them reclaim authorship in the Nuclear Age.

Eleonora Neri – Programme & Research Coordinator at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)

Eleonora Neri is a dedicated professional with extensive expertise in international peace and security, specializing in non-proliferation and disarmament. She holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and dual Bachelor’s Degrees in International Relations and Management from Webster University.  Her career has included key roles at prominent institutions such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and the Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament (AMC) at Uppsala University. These experiences have enriched her understanding of global security challenges and strengthened her commitment to advancing disarmament initiatives.  Since 2017, Eleonora has been an active member of the CTBTO Youth Group, where she has worked to promote global awareness of the nuclear-test-ban’s critical importance. Originally from Rome, Italy, she brings a passionate and informed perspective to her work, contributing to the advancement of international peace and security.

Jorge Lopez – Mexican Diplomat

Jorge Lopez is a Mexican diplomat. During 2011-2019, he served as Research and Communication Officer at the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL). During this period, he participated in the negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and supported the implementation of the Treaty of Tlatelolco. From 2019 to 2022, Jorge was Legal and Project Officer at the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs – Lima Regional Centre (UNODA – UNLIREC), assisting Caribbean and Latin American States in implementing treaties on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Zeenat Sabur – PhD Researcher, University of Manchester

Zeenat Sabur is a PhD researcher at the University of Manchester. Her PhD is looks at the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons through the lens of narratives. Specifically it looks at the stories that the US and UK tell to hold the world as we know it – the world with nuclear weapons – in place. I.e. the stories told to make disarmament seem absurd. And equally, the stories that are told by the proponents of disarmament. Zeenat Sabur is also a teaching fellow at the University of Leicester in the department of History, Politics, and International Relations. She has is also a steering group member of Drone Wars UK, and has previously worked as a research assistant at the University of Birmingham, funded by the Open Societies Foundations, on a project looking at the legitimacy and legality of drone warfare.

Felipe Dalcin Silva – Research Director at the South American Institute for Politics and Strategy (ISAPE). PhD Candidate in International Strategic Studies at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

Felipe Dalcin Silva is currently a PhD student and holds a Master’s degree from the International Strategic Studies at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). He also has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Centro Universitário Curitiba (UNICURITIBA). In addition to his studies, he serves as the Research Director and Associate Researcher at the South American Institute for Politics and Strategy (ISAPE). He is also a Research Fellow at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in collaboration with the Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS). His main research focus is on nuclear weapons, particularly the role of tactical nuclear weapons as tools for deterrence and compellence. He studies how the development of these weapons systems affects non-proliferation and disarmament regimes and initiatives.

Thomas J Shattuck – Senior Program Manager, Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania

Thomas J. Shattuck is a Senior Program Manager at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House. He is a 2024-25 non-resident WSD-Handa Fellow at the Pacific Forum and a 2024-25 non-resident Research Fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point. His research focuses on cross-Strait relations, Taiwanese and Chinese domestic and foreign affairs, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, and the US role in the Indo-Pacific. Shattuck is a Non-Resident Research Fellow at the Global Taiwan Institute, Non-Resident Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, member of Foreign Policy for America’s NextGen Foreign Policy Initiative, and the Pacific Forum’s Young Leaders Program, where he participated in the 2022 US-Philippines Next-Generation Leaders in Security Initiative. In 2022, he was selected to participate in the Department of Defense’s Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. He was also a member of the 2019 class of scholars at the Global Taiwan Institute, receiving the Taiwan Scholarship.

Cooper Christiancy – Research and Academics Manager, Bernard & Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, University of Texas School of Law

Cooper Christiancy is Research and Academics Manager at the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas School of Law, where he carries out research on human rights, environmental justice, and nuclear disarmament and supports students pursuing careers in human rights. Cooper joined the Rapoport Center from the Promise Institute for Human Rights at the UCLA School of Law, where he served as the Research and Advocacy Advisor to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism.  He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2021 with concentration honors in both Human Rights and International Law.

Ian Fleming Zhou – PhD Candidate, University of Pretoria

Ian Fleming Zhou is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, focusing on the efficacy of economic sanctions on North Korea nuclear program.  He is currently a fellow at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. He is a former Arms Control Negotiation Academy fellow (2023-2024 cohort). Prior to this, he served as a research fellow at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. Ian’s areas of specialization are nuclear diplomacy, arms control, nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament.

Sanaa Alvira – Research Associate, Centre for Air Power Studies

Sanaa Alvira is a Research Associate specialising in nuclear policy and related issues at the Centre for Air Power Studies, India, and a Research Assistant at the Centre for the Governance of AI (GovAI). She is also a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a recent graduate of the Non-Proliferation and Terrorism Studies master’s programme at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She previously graduated with another master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her past experiences include working at the James Martin Center for Non-Proliferation Studies and the IAEA’s Department of Safeguards. She holds a professional certification in nuclear security offered by the World Institute for Nuclear Security, Austria.

Yerdaulet Rakhmatulla – Founder & CEO, JASA / Co-Founder, Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition (QNFC)

Yerdaulet Rakhmatulla is the Founder & CEO of JASA, the first youth-led organization in Central Asia dedicated to addressing nuclear affairs and AI policy. Additionally, he co-founded the Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition, which promotes nuclear justice and peace. As a representative of his generation at high-level UN conferences, Yerdaulet collaborates with esteemed organizations such as UNESCO and IAEA. His experience includes serving as a Youth Delegate at the TPNW2MSP and participating in the inaugural IAEA Nuclear Security Delegation for the Future at the 2024 ICONS Conference in Vienna. In 2024, he played a key role in co-organizing the Nuclear Survivors Forum, featuring the Secretary General of Nihon Hidankyo, a 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, in Astana. He also co-led a Study Tour for German civil society organizations to engage with Kazakh nuclear frontline communities in Semey. Currently, Yerdaulet is a Hungaricum Scholar at Ludovika University of Public Service in Budapest. His academic focus lies in AI and nuclear governance, with expertise specifically in Central Asia and the Turkic States.

Hree Putri Samudra – Project Associate for Asia and the Pacific, Global Network of Women Peacebuilders

Hree Putri Samudra is a Project Associate for Asia and the Pacific at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, emphasizing gender integration in disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation. Her advocacy extends to co-chairing a Working Group on the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons for the Emerging Voices Network, supported by BASIC. This role involves steering discussions to strengthen humanitarian impacts agendas within nuclear policy frameworks. Hree also contributes to global gender equality dialogues as a member of the Beijing+30 Civil Society Steering Committee, organizing forums to promote inclusive participation. With a foundation in International Relations from Universitas Padjadjaran and experience from the University of Pennsylvania, she champions global peace through diplomacy and inclusivity, striving to ensure that women’s voices are central in security discussions.

Laura Rose Brown – PhD Candidate, University of Leeds

Laura Rose Brown is a final year PhD candidate at the University of Leeds and Policy Fellow at BASIC, as part of an ESRC funded collaborative studentship. Her research and policy work focuses on the intersection of nuclear weapons and gender. She has published research in International Affairs and within the European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium Policy Paper Series. Most recently, she has written about impact in relation to gendering nuclear policy, gender in the context of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as well as the implications of a Feminist Foreign Policy for nuclear weapons policy. Laura Rose teaches at undergraduate level in the School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds. She holds a Master’s in Social Research (University of Leeds) and a Master’s in International Security (Sciences Po Paris).

Rebekah K. Pullen – PhD Candidate, McMaster University

Rebekah K. Pullen is a PhD Candidate in International Relations at McMaster University and is currently based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She completed her MA in Global Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in 2014, and her research focuses on political theories of violence, socio-cultural considerations of weapons use, and popular culture and world politics. Currently, her dissertation explores depictions of decision-maker agency around nuclear weapons in film. Outside of academia, Rebekah has worked in the not-for-profit sector in Canada, with organizations focused on safe water, global health research, and humanitarian disarmament. She is currently the social media editor for Critical Studies on Security, and soon you can hear her explore the IR academy in Canada as the co-creator and season one host of ISA-Canada’s professional development podcast ‘Acting Like A Doctor’.

Dina Tawfik – Program Associate on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA)

Dina Tawfik is a Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Program Associate at CCCPA. Dina is a mentor at the Youth Leader Fund for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, a Junior Associate Non-Resident Fellow at the NATO Defense College and a Research Fellow at the Comprehensive-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (2024). Prior to joining CCCPA, she worked at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) where she conducted research on Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zones. Dina has also served as a Teaching Assistant at the American University in Cairo. She holds a Master of Arts in Comparative and Middle East Politics from the American University in Cairo (2023). Her master’s thesis focused on the evolution of nuclear signaling during times of crisis. Her research interests include nuclear politics in the Middle East, the role of civil society in the anti-nuclear weapons movement in the Global South, and the link between disarmament and peacebuilding.

Karen van Loon – Research Fellow in the Security and Defence Programme at the Clingendael Institute. Associate Fellow in the Europeans Affairs Programme at EGMONT – Royal Institute for International Relations.

Karen van Loon is a Research Fellow at Clingendael’s Security and Defence Programme, where she specializes in Arctic geopolitics and broader security and defence issues.   Before joining Clingendael, Karen was a Researcher in the European Affairs Programme at the Egmont Institute. She has also held roles as an Educational Assistant at the Political Science Department of KU Leuven Kulak and as a Lecturer in the Master of Teaching Programme at the University of Antwerp.   She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Programme of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium.  Karen holds an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Antwerp and both an MA and BA in Eastern-European Languages and Cultures from the University of Ghent. Her research interests focus on Arctic geopolitics, arms control, and nuclear non-proliferation.