Dr. Patricia Lewis is the Research Director of International Security at Chatham House. She has previously worked at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, UNIDIR and VERTIC. With a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and over 30 years’ experience in the field, she has been recognized for her work to resolve issues involving the interface of physics and society. Much of her research focuses on science and technology policies, weapons of mass destruction and arms control.
Dr. Patricia Lewis is the Research Director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House.
Her former posts include Deputy Director and Scientist-in-Residence at the Center for Non-proliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies; Director of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR); member of the International Advisory Board at The Centre for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament; and Director of the Verification Research, Training, and Information Center (VERTIC) in London. She also served on the 2010-2011 Advisory Panel on Future Priorities of the Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) chaired by Ambassador Rolf Ekeus; was an advisor to the 2008-10 International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) chaired by Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi; and served on the 2004-6 WMD Commission chaired by Dr. Hans Blix.
Dr. Lewis is the recipient of the American Physical Society’s 2009 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award recognizing ‘outstanding contributions to the public understanding or resolution of issues involving the interface of physics and society’.
She has written multiple publications for Chatham House, which include ‘Space, the Final Frontier for Cyber Security?’ and ‘Nuclear Disarmament: The Missing Link in Multilateralism’. She also edited the co-authored volumes Ways Out of the Arm Race and Too Close for Comfort: Cases of Near Nuclear Use and Options for Policy.
She has particular expertise in international security, treaties, defense policy, science and technology policies, weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, biological), arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament.
She holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics from Manchester University and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from Birmingham University.
Articles
China-US talks offer optimism at bleak time for arms control
"After many years of fruitless ‘talks about talks’, China and the US have just met in Washington for what is hoped to be the first...