Heather Williams

Director, Project on Nuclear Issues and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Williams

Heather Williams is the director of the Project on Nuclear Issues and a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She is a member of the Defense Science Board, an associate fellow with the Project on Managing the Atom in the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a senior associate with the Royal United Services Institute in London. Before joining CSIS, Dr. Williams was a visiting fellow with the Project on Managing the Atom and a Stanton nuclear security fellow in the Security Studies Program at MIT. Until 2022, she was a senior lecturer (associate professor) at King’s College London and served as a specialist adviser to the House of Lords International Relations Committee. Dr. Williams has a PhD in war studies from King’s College London, an MA in security policy studies from the George Washington University, and a BA in international relations and Russian studies from Boston University.

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Report Launch: Project Atom 2025

Please join the Project on Nuclear Issues for a launch event for the Project Atom 2025 report on escalatory risk in the Indo-Pacific. 

Event — December 10, 2025

Russia’s Latest Nuclear Saber-Rattling: Nuclear Testing?

President Putin’s instruction for Russian military and political leaders to begin “preparations for nuclear weapons tests” follows President Trump’s similar order last week, but also fits a wider pattern of nuclear saber-rattling tied to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Critical Questions by Heather Williams and Lachlan MacKenzie — November 5, 2025

Can the United States Immediately Return to Nuclear Testing?

President Trump’s post raises technical questions about how and if the United States could “immediately” return to nuclear testing, and political considerations about the signaling behind nuclear testing and who would benefit most from a return to testing.

Critical Questions by Heather Williams — October 30, 2025

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Can the United States Immediately Return to Nuclear Testing?

An audio version of "⁠Can the United States Immediately Return to Nuclear Testing?⁠," a new Critical Questions by CSIS's Heather Williams. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Heather Williams — October 30, 2025

Audio Briefs

MTCR Reform: What's a Missile?

Please join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for a conversation on Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) reform.

Event — September 24, 2025

Returning to an Era of Competition and Nuclear Risk

The future of modern warfare will feature increased reliance on nuclear weapons by adversaries and allies. Modern war strategists must develop a nuanced approach to prevent miscalculation and maintain stability in an era of renewed competition and growing nuclear risks.

Commentary by Heather Williams, Joseph Rodgers, and Elizabeth Kos — September 16, 2025