Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age

We are delighted to announce the 2026 cohort of the Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age Fellows Scheme. 

We received 99 applications, and have selected 24 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 12 different countries, and include PhD researchers, early career academics, policy practitioners, and diplomats. 

Throughout 2026 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:

Jannis Kappelmann – Research Associate and PhD Student, University of Hamburg

Jannis Kappelmann is a PhD Student and Research Associate at University of Hamburg. He holds an MA in International Conflict Studies from King’s College London and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Politics and Economics from Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen. Previously, he worked at the German Federal Foreign Office, the, the UN World Food Programme and the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the UN, held a Fellowship at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and co-led the Gender and Disarmament Project at SCRAP Weapons, SOAS University of London. His research focuses on nuclear weapons governance, norms, international practices, gender and digitality in IR.

Risa Pieters – Deputy Director of Global Programs, Asia-Pacific Lead, Obama Foundation

Risa Pieters serves as Deputy Director of Global Programs and Asia-Pacific Lead at the Obama Foundation, where she designs and leads multi-country initiatives that bring together government, civil society, and business leaders to advance peace, cooperation, and long-term global stability. With deep experience across the Asia-Pacific, her work centers on dialogue across difference, pluralism, and collaborative leadership in regions shaped by historical trauma and geopolitical tension. Risa’s commitment to nuclear disarmament and memory preservation is deeply personal. Her mixed Japanese–South African heritage, alongside formative experiences with atomic bomb survivors in Japan and anti-apartheid leaders in South Africa, has shaped her focus on reconciliation, moral responsibility, and the role of collective memory in preventing future violence. She has engaged in trans-Pacific efforts to elevate nuclear history, nonproliferation, and peacebuilding through education and cultural diplomacy. Risa is a United Nations Youth Leader for a World Without Nuclear Weapons and speaks internationally on leadership, memory, and peace.

Raven Witherspoon – PhD Student, Princeton University

Raven Witherspoon is a PhD student in Princeton’s Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) program and a member of the Program on Science and Global Security. Raven studies the radiological risks and health impacts of nuclear accidents on public health and safety for local communities. She also explores the reconstruction of past accidents to better understand episodes of environmental contamination at former US nuclear facilities and the role of environmental and safety standards. She is also interested in Cold War and post-Cold-War nuclear risk reduction and confidence-building measures and opportunities to adapt and expand these measures within the current US-China nuclear relationship. Raven holds an undergraduate degree in physics with minors in mathematics, political science, and international social justice studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also holds a master’s degree in global affairs from Tsinghua University where she was Schwarzman Scholar.

Victoria Mawedo Imaji – Nuclear & Climate Analyst, Nuclear-Aware Africa

Victoria M. Imaji is a Nuclear & Climate Analyst with Nuclear-Aware Africa, working on nuclear disarmament, gender, and environmental advocacy. She is a master’s student at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Nigeria, and is actively involved in youth led peace initiatives, including community peace clubs that encourage dialogue and peaceful coexistence. Victoria participated in the UNODA Youth Leader Fund for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, where she gained practical exposure to international frameworks such as the NPT and the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons. She has also worked with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Southeast office in Nigeria to support youth engagement in peace advocacy. Her work focuses on bringing youth perspectives from the Global South into international nuclear and arms control discussions in ways that are inclusive and practical.

Diana Kuznestova – MA Student in Intelligence and International Security at King’s College London/ Policy Advisor at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Parliament)

Diana Kuznetsova is an MA student in Intelligence and International Security at King’s College London and serves as a Policy Advisor to a Member of Parliament in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. She has over five years of experience delivering policy advice and analytical support on international security, geopolitics, and defence-related issues. Diana has held research and fellowship roles with leading institutions, including the Cambridge Security Initiative, Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, NEREC, and EUNPDC, among others. Her research interests include nuclear security, arms control and non-proliferation, and the implications of emerging technologies for contemporary conflict and strategic stability. Diana has regional expertise in Russia and Eastern Europe, with a focus on the war in Ukraine and its domestic and wider European security implications. Diana is a Board Member for Outer Space within the Global Youth AI Advisory Body, contributing to discussions on responsible AI governance in the space domain.

Ayesha Zafar – Project Manager, Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations (FRFG)

Ayesha Zafar is a security and nuclear policy professional specialising in nuclear arms control, disarmament, and the role of youth in peace and security. She graduated with an Erasmus Mundus International Masters in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies from the University of Glasgow and is currently working as a Project Manager at the Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations (FRFG), where she leads projects on intergenerational justice and nuclear security and co-edits the Intergenerational Justice Review. She is also part of the Expert Roster for Project LOOP at the Open Nuclear Network (Vienna), contributing regional insights, nuclear risk analysis, and forecasting support. Previously, Ayesha worked on an EU-funded research project with the Peace Research Centre Prague and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) examining nuclear rhetoric and escalation management in the Russia–Ukraine war. Her work focuses on reducing nuclear risks and advancing inclusive, forward-looking approaches to arms control and disarmament, with particular attention to how the EU institutionalises the UN Youth, Peace and Security agenda and the evolving role of youth in nuclear policy.

Vivienne Zhang – Research Technician, University of British Columbia

Vivienne Zhang is a researcher based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her work focuses on the space-nuclear nexus and strategic competition between the US and China. She works as a Research Technician at the University of British Columbia and was previously a Consultant in the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research’s Weapons of Mass Destruction and Space Security Programmes. She also worked at Canadian diplomatic missions abroad in Thailand, Laos, Germany, and Switzerland. Vivienne holds a Master’s degree in International Security from Sciences Po Paris and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern European Studies from the University of British Columbia.

Rebecca H. Hogue – Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of Toronto

Rebecca H. Hogue is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Toronto, where she is a literary and cultural historian of Oceania and the Nuclear Age. Inspired by her upbringing in Hawaiʻi, her research and teaching interests include literatures of the Pacific, environmental humanities, critical militarisms, and settler responsibilities to decolonization. Prior to U of T, Rebecca completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard University. Her work on nuclear abolition and women’s writing has appeared in a range of venues including International Affairs, the Journal of Transnational American Studies, Nuclear Ban Daily, The Conversation, and CNN Opinion. She is currently finishing her first monograph, Nuclear Archipelagos, which examines the roles of Indigenous women’s arts and literatures in the nuclear abolition movements in Oceania. Rebecca is a board member of the Nuclear Truth Project, an international initiative connecting Indigenous communities, nuclear-affected community members, international and civil society organizations, and governments working for nuclear abolition.

Camilla Braito – Master’s Graduate in International Security Studies at Charles University and Lead Coordinator at Youth Fusion

Camilla Braito is a Master’s Graduate in International Security Studies, specializing in Euro-Atlantic security, arms control, and non-proliferation. After interning at Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, she now works as Lead Coordinator at Youth Fusion, a youth-led network committed to educating, connecting, and empowering the next generation of disarmament advocates. She contributes to the Emerging Voices Network at BASIC as a policy cycle co-author. Her work includes a publication on nuclear harm reduction in the 2025 BASIC Emerging Voices Network anthology, and she is currently co-authoring foresight-based policy recommendations for the 2026 NPT Review Conference. On a project basis, Camilla also collaborates as a researcher with ITSS Verona in the Russia Team. She is a member of the CTBT Youth Group and, since 2023, has been engaged with ISPI, Italy’s leading political think tank, as a Young Ambassador and Future Leader.

Janani Mohan – Janani Mohan, University of Cambridge

Janani Mohan is researching on nuclear energy and deterrence policy as part of her PhD at the University of Cambridge, where she is a recipient of the Gates Cambridge award. She holds her Master in International Policy from Stanford University, where she was a Ford Dorsey and McCaw Fellow, and her Bachelor in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Janani has extensive experience as a policy analyst including collaborating with the United Nations Innovation Cell to monitor open-source intelligence from the War in Ukraine, consulting with the United Nations Development Programme in South Africa to increase technology access for marginalized youth, and supporting the U.S. Department of State on nuclear nonproliferation initiatives. She is also an avid researcher and author, publishing with organizations like the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Stimson Center, and Smithsonian Institution. Beyond her diverse policy interests, Janani co-founded a nonprofit that provided free career development and mental health mentorship virtually in over 35 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michael Trainor

Michael is a multidisciplinary artist creating work about complex socio-political factors for citizen audiences and public engagement. He is a Clore Fellow (cultural leadership) and has a PhD in artists’ responses to nuclear weapons, creating a new body of related ‘nucleart’ in the process and is working on an artists’ guide to nuclear weapons. He has a back catalogue of large-scale (non-nuclear) projects in public spaces including sculpture, performance, installation, and collaborations with other artists and communities that unfold over many years. His first public artwork They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (the world’s largest mirror ball) is now 25yrs old and latest, Everything I Haven’t Consumed (collecting his own consumer packaging since the Millennium) will be exhibited in 2026. He is a former café owner, a native of Manchester (England) now living in Edinburgh (Scotland), and an obsessive collector including a prize-winning collection of nuclear disaster novels.

MD.Arifur Rahman – PhD Candidate, School of Politics & International Relations (SPIR), East China Normal University

Md. Arifur Rahman is a PhD candidate in International Relations at East China Normal University, focusing on nuclear verification, arms control, and disarmament. His research explores the case of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the challenges behind past nuclear verification efforts, particularly analyzing the structural limitations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He also investigates how emerging technologies can be integrated to improve nuclear safeguards and verification processes. With a background in both International Relations and Civil Engineering, he has contributed to discussions on hypersonic weapons, missile defense, and nuclear geopolitics at international conferences.

Shawn Rostker – Research Analyst – Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Shawn Rostker is a Research Analyst with the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. His research investigates issues of nuclear strategy, arms control, and their technical and policy intersections with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. He has a broad regional focus on Asia and the Indo-Pacific. Prior to joining the Center, Rostker worked on technology policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as well as nuclear deterrence and the North Korean weapons program during his time at the Center for Political-Military Analysis. Rostker has held Fellowships with the Council on Strategic Risks and the Mansfield Foundation, and was selected by the U.S. Department of State to serve as a delegate to the P5 Young Professionals Network. He holds a Bachelor’s in International Relations from the University of California, San Diego where he graduated summa cum laude, and a Master’s in Security Studies from Georgetown University.

Megan Thomas – University of Liverpool

I hold a BA in History, an MA in Public History and Heritage, and an MA in Archive and Records Management with a specialisation in the management of digital records. I am an ESRC CASE student funded by the NWSSDTP in partnership with English Heritage. My research interests lie at the intersection of histories of emotion and technology, critical archival studies, Cold War heritage, and the phenomenology of imagination. My doctoral project is situated within the context of Cold War culture, built atomic heritage, and unstable interpretations of ‘nuclear deterrence’. Specifically attuned to Cold War visions of possible futures, my research employs a methodologically pluralist approach to illuminate the entangled and affective sociotechnical legacies of British nuclear order.

Christelle Barakat – Researcher at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS)

Christelle Barakat is a Researcher on public policies at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and an incoming Schwarzman Scholar. She is a Lebanese Fulbright Foreign Student program graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, holding an M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies with a concentration on International Peace Development. She is also an Emerging Expert with the Forum on the Arms Trade, an Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age Fellow, an advisory board member with BASIC EVN, and a mentor in the second cohort of the Youth Leaders’ Fund for a World Without Nuclear Weapons. Over the years, she was selected as a Youth Leader for a World Without Nuclear Weapons (first cohort), Leader to the Future, Leader for Tomorrow, and Youth Champion for Disarmament (first cohort) with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

Samara Shaz – MA Student, University of Chicago

Samara Shaz is a Master’s student in the Committee on International Relations at the University of Chicago studying the intersection between norm contestation and nuclear weapons, specifically the politics and rhetorical boundaries of American nuclear weapons. Before coming to Chicago, she assisted on the Nuclear Security portfolio at the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Shaz also did research at MIT’s Security Studies Program, analyzing the salience of nuclear weapons in American politics. Shaz earned her BA in Political Science with a minor in Chemistry from Wellesley College, graduating cum laude. As an undergraduate, she conducted research at the Union of Concerned Scientists on the demographic effects on nuclear policy preferences. Her senior honors thesis examined international regimes, contrasting the normative frameworks used by different nuclear weapons treaties.

Declan Penrose – PhD Candidate at the University of Manchester and Policy Fellow at BASIC

I am a PhD Candidate at the University of Manchester and my thesis examines the affective economies of nuclear disarmament activism. I am also a Policy Fellow at BASIC where I work on the Emerging Voices Network. In my PhD research, I am particularly interested in the role affect and emotions play in nuclear disarmament campaigns. I am also interested in feminist international relations nuclear weapons scholarship. I was also in the first cohort of the Ploughshares and Horizon 2045 Nuclear Futures Fellowship where I was taught to utilise futures and foresight methodologies. I have utilised this training to organise and coordinate EVN Policy Cycles that utilise foresight methodologies to look at pathways to desirable and undesirable futures for a world beyond nuclear deterrence and the NPT. I previously was Online Coordinator at Youth for TPNW in 2022 and have received diplomacy and negotiation training at the University of Oxford.

Sterre van Buuren – Doctoral candidate, University of Glasgow

Sterre van Buuren is a PhD student at the University of Glasgow studying the participation of private actors in nuclear weapons politics in France and the UK. She is also an affiliated doctoral researcher with Sciences Po’s Nuclear Knowledges programme. In this role, she studies the politics of extended nuclear deterrence in Belgium and the Netherlands. Her research interests revolve around the governance of nuclear weapons and other existential risks, and particularly their intersection with democracy.

Elia Duran-Smith – Analyst, Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament

Elia is currently an Analyst for the Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament, supporting the delegation’s work on the Biological Weapons Convention, the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, among others. She has previously an intern with the International Security Programme at Chatham House and was a Graduate Professional within the Security and Technology Programme at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. She was also previously a research fellow at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. Her research interests include arms control, the impacts of emerging technologies on international security, Indo-Pacific security and transatlantic security.

Bartu Doruk – Graduate Researcher – ETH Zurich

Bartu DORUK is a Master’s student and graduate researcher at ETH Zurich with a background in biotechnology and neuroscience, and experience translating life science research into applied technical contexts. He has contributed to CBRN defense through a NATO research project examining Arctic preparedness and operational challenges, gaining insights relevant to both nuclear and biological security, and will soon join the Biological Weapons Convention team at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). His work focuses on bridging nuclear and biological security, with research and professional interests spanning risk reduction, non-/counter-proliferation, and emerging technologies. He aims to connect scientific and policy expertise to advance responsible innovation, strengthen multilateral security frameworks, and support efforts to reduce global nuclear and biological risks.

Emily Faux – Lecturer, University of Leeds

Emily Faux is a Lecturer at the University of Leeds. She recently submitted her PhD at Newcastle University (UK), where her research examines narratives and fictionality as critical tools for understanding stories about nuclear weapons and war. Her work explores how fictional and narrative forms shape public, political, and cultural understandings of nuclear violence, security, and catastrophe. Emily’s broader research interests include war and conflict narratives, cultural representations of technology and power, and the politics of storytelling. She teaches across media, communication, and cultural studies, with a particular focus on critical theory and narrative analysis.

Mays Smithwick – Phd Student, Yale University

Mays Smithwick is a PhD student in the American Studies and Religious Studies departments at Yale University. Their research investigates the co-formations of Western secularism, the military industrial complex, and the US national security myth. They engage Caribbean critique, disability studies, the critical study of secularism, and feminist science and technology studies. Mays is a fellow of Racisms and Colonialisms in the Longue Durée at University College London and Yale, and a fellow of Environmental Humanities at the Whitney Center for Humanities at Yale. They completed a B.A. at the New School and a M.A. at New York University. Mays has worked with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the New York Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (NYCAN), and the Nuclear Truth Project. In their research and practice, they are guided by an aim towards Indigenous self-determination and the abolition of borders.

Anna Hauschild – Postgraduate Researcher at the University of Manchester

Anna Hauschild is currently an ESRC funded Postgraduate Researcher at the University of Manchester and an Associate Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. Her research examines the possibilities and challenges of feminist knowledge production in multilateral institutions, with a particular focus on nuclear policy spaces. She explores the relationship of different feminist articulations and practices in times of increasing militarisation. With an interdisciplinary background in Political Science, International Relations, and Gender Studies, she holds an MSc in Gender, Peace, and Security (Distinction) from the London School of Economics (LSE). She has several years of experience across academic, civil society, and policy sectors, having worked and being involved with civil society organisations such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, as well as policy-oriented research institutions like the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and the German Council on Foreign Relations.

Andrej Stefanović – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia

Andrej Stefanovic works as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia. During 2023 and 2024, he was a desk officer at the Arms Control Department, and from 2019 to 2023 he was assigned to Serbia’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, where he covered disarmament and arms control issues. In the course of these assignments, he completed many programs in arms control, including the Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA), the EUNPDC Internship and the CTBTO/CENESS Research Fellowship. He has authored a number of articles dealing with the global arms control architecture, disarmament, and regional security issues.