Heather Williams

Heather Williams is the director of the Project on Nuclear Issues and a senior fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 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. Before joining CSIS she 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) in defense studies at King’s College London and taught on arms control, deterrence, and disarmament. From 2018 to 2019, Dr. Williams served as a specialist adviser to the House of Lords International Relations Committee inquiry into the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and disarmament, and until 2015 she was a research fellow at Chatham House. She previously worked in the Strategy, Forces, and Resources Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses, where she remains an adjunct research staff member. 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.
- H. Andrew Schwartz
- Chief Communications Officer
- 202.775.3242
- aschwartz@csis.org
- Paige Montfort
- Assistant Director of Communications, External Relations
- 202.775.3173
- pmontfort@csis.org
Media Queries
- H. Andrew Schwartz
- Chief Communications Officer
- 202.775.3242
- aschwartz@csis.org
- Paige Montfort
- Assistant Director of Communications, External Relations
- 202.775.3173
- pmontfort@csis.org
In the News
A new nuclear arms race is here: How to slow it down
Heather Williams in Washington Post — November 19, 2023
The Collapse of Global Arms Control
Heather Williams in Time — November 13, 2023
Russia stops sharing missile test info with US, opens drills
Heather Williams in Boston Globe — March 29, 2023
Russia Announced a Historic Nuclear Weapons Move. Here's Why Experts Aren't Worried
Heather Williams in Time — March 28, 2023
American arms control leadership: What now?
Heather Williams in The Hill — March 1, 2023
Russia Says Its 'Satan-2' Missile Will Deploy This Year. Sure It Will.
Heather Williams in Popular Mechanics — February 27, 2023
Russia’s ‘dangerous’ move raises fears of new nuclear arms race
Heather Williams in Financial Times — February 24, 2023
Nuclear risk seen rising after Putin suspends treaty
Heather Williams in Reuters — February 23, 2023
All Heather Williams Content
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PONI 2024 Virtual Winter Conference
Event — February 26, 2024
2023 Fall Conference
Event — December 5, 2023
Project Atom Report Launch
Event — November 7, 2023
Korea Global Forum 2023
Event — November 6, 2023
How to Get Away with a Nuclear Test
Critical Questions by Heather Williams — October 5, 2023
Project Atom 2023
Report by Heather Williams Kelsey Hartigan Lachlan MacKenzie Robert Soofer Tom Karako Oriana Skylar Mastro Franklin Miller Leonor Tomero and Jon Wolfsthal — September 29, 2023
2023 PONI Summer Conference
Event — July 26, 2023
Reactions from the Next Generation
Report by Heather Williams Jamie Kwong Nicholas Adamopoulos Suzanne Claeys Joseph Rodgers Doreen Horschig Lachlan MacKenzie Melissa Chan and Jessica Link — June 28, 2023
Alternative Nuclear Futures: Capability and Credibility Challenges for U.S. Extended Nuclear Deterrence
Report by Heather Williams Kelsey Hartigan Joseph Rodgers and Reja Younis — May 8, 2023
CSIS European Trilateral Track 2 Nuclear Dialogues
Report by Heather Williams — March 20, 2023