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 (CSIS). She is a member of the Defense Science Board and State Department International Security Advisory Board and is a consultant to the U.S. Strategic Command Strategic Advisory Group. She is also 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 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 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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 George Washington University, and a BA in international relations and Russian studies from Boston University.

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PONI 2025 Virtual Winter Conference

The Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) will host its 2025 Virtual Winter Conference on February 11. The theme of this conference is “Strengthening U.S. Alliances and Partnerships.”

Event — February 11, 2025

PONI Live Debate: AI Integration in NC3

Join PONI on January 24, 2025, for a live debate between ASP senior associate Sarah Mineiro and CNAS executive vice president and director of studies Paul Scharre on AI integration in NC3. 

Event — January 24, 2025

Report Launch: Project Atom 2024

Please join the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 9:00 am ET, for the launch of its report, Project Atom 2024. 

Event — November 20, 2024

Project Atom 2024: Intra-War Deterrence in a Two-Peer Environment

There is a growing risk that U.S. adversaries might resort to nuclear use in a regional conflict. To help address for this threat, the Project on Nuclear Issues invited a group of experts to develop competing strategies for responding to strategic deterrence failure.

Report by Heather Williams, Reja Younis, Lachlan MacKenzie, Christopher A. Ford, Rebecca Davis Gibbons, Ankit Panda, Melanie W. Sisson, and Gregory Weaver — November 18, 2024

Why Russia Is Changing Its Nuclear Doctrine Now

Putin’s changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine show increased reliance on nuclear weapons for coercion in the Ukraine war. By expanding nuclear use conditions, Russia aims to deter Western aid and divide European allies, signaling a greater willingness to escalate.

Commentary by Heather Williams — September 27, 2024

Why Did China and Russia Stage a Joint Bomber Exercise near Alaska?

On July 24, the North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted two Chinese and two Russian bombers flying near Alaska. This incident was the first of its kind and could signal a growing willingness on the part of Beijing and Moscow to test American resolve.

Critical Questions by Heather Williams, Kari A. Bingen, and Lachlan MacKenzie — July 30, 2024

Debating Global South Reactions to Russian Nuclear Threats

Russia is responsible for its nuclear saber-rattling, not the countries in the Global South. Global South countries have condemned nuclear saber-rattling publicly in regional and international forums, even if some of them have not called out Russia explicitly. 

Commentary by Heather Williams and J. Luis Rodriguez — July 30, 2024

Audio Briefs

Debating Global South Reactions to Russian Nuclear Threats

An audio version of “Debating Global South Reactions to Russian Nuclear Threats,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Heather Williams with J. Luis Rodriguez. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Heather Williams and J. Luis Rodriguez — July 30, 2024

Audio Briefs