Dr. Amy Smithson
Senior Fellow
Dr. Amy Smithson is a Senior Fellow at the Washington, D.C. Office of CNS. Dr. Smithson specializes in in-depth field research on issues related to chemical and biological weapons proliferation, threat reduction mechanisms, defense, and homeland security. The author of a wide range of pertinent studies, she has addressed such topics as the reduction of U.S. and Russian chemical and biological weapon capabilities, the status of international treaties outlawing these weapons, the utility of export controls, unconventional terrorism, and U.S. preparedness to cope with biological and chemical disasters. Building issue alliances across communities that might not normally work together, Smithson's work recommends practical steps that blend technical and policy instruments to reduce chemical and biological weapon threats and to enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
Before joining the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Ms. Smithson worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Henry L. Stimson Center, where in January 1993 she founded the latter's Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Project to serve as an information clearinghouse, watchdog, and problem-solver regarding chemical and biological weapons issues. Previously, she worked for Pacific-Sierra Research Corporation and the Center for Naval Analyses.
The author, co-author, or editor of 16 books and book-length reports, as well as numerous articles, Dr. Smithson has appeared frequently before Congress and in the electronic and print media. She holds a PhD in political science from George Washington University, an MA in international relations from Georgetown University, and a BA in political science and Russian from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
