Panel speakers include:
Grady Beckett
Theo Brown
Molly Grace Doyle
Major Callum Gaskell
Adam Harris
Leo Keay
Mhairi McClafferty
Jack Radcliffe
Ciara Rushton
Bailey Schiff
Adam Sharon
Sophie Somerville Roberts
Sadie Stewart
Danielle Trembath
Grady holds a master’s in physics from Warwick university where he specialised in condensed matter and plasma physics. Building on this, he moved to the University of Birmingham as a quantum materials chemist. Motivated by the threat posed by climate change and the draw of practical applications he pivoted into the nuclear industry.
He now works with Rolls-Royce as an analytical engineer working with their Terrestrial Advanced Modular Reactor team. In this role, he optimises plant designs to improve safety and performance of nuclear reactors.
Theo finished his college course in Information Technology in 2023. Building on this, Theo found his excitement for software development while undertaking a Level 4 apprenticeship in software engineering. He is now furthering his studies at MASS by undertaking a Level 6 apprenticeship as a software developer.
Theo has always had an interest in PONI and the work that the group do, having attended multiple of their events and sessions in London, which makes a nice change of scenery from the countryside.
Molly Doyle is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the Office of Legal Affairs, Treaty Law Division, where she supports the development and interpretation of international law central to nuclear safety and security. Her research includes the legal framework for nuclear liability during armed conflict, the proliferation risks posed by small modular reactors (SMRs), and she assists the Agency’s legislative assistance programs that help states adopt and strengthen nuclear law.
Previously, Molly Grace was a Graduate Fellow at the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, contributing to transparent stockpile stewardship and industrial-base monitoring. Molly Grace holds a master’s degree in international affairs with a concentration in nuclear policy where she researched extended deterrence, the future of arms control in the information age, and security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.
Major Callum Gaskell joined the Royal Marines in 2016 and has served on global deployments as a Troop Commander, Fire Support Group Commander and Company Second in Command amongst other positions. Between 2023-2025 he was employed as a security adviser for UK nuclear deterrence operations and the AUKUS programme. His current role is coordinating cyber and electronic warfare effects in support of Royal Navy operations.
Callum holds a BScEcon in International Politics from Aberystwyth University, an MA in International Relations from Queen Mary University London, and is a current PhD student at Keele University. His PhD research is centred on how the use of the space domain in the Ukraine conflict will affect global nuclear deterrence.
Adam is a software model engineer and has worked for MASS Consultants in Corsham, Wiltshire ever since he graduated from Loughborough University in 2023 with a degree in Maths and Computer Science. Whilst Adam works in a technical role, he’s always had a strong interest in global politics, which is the focus of his presentation.
Adam is keen to take part in PONI in order to widen his knowledge on the political nature of the wider nuclear industry.
Leo A. Keay is a PhD candidate in Defence Studies at King’s College London. His research focuses on artificial intelligence and strategic decision-making, specifically exploring the potential of large language models for modelling nuclear crisis escalation.
Drawing on four years of experience as a parliamentary staffer, as well as work at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Security Council, he combines policy experience with an expertise in emerging and disruptive technologies. Leo has presented his work at Oxford University’s Changing Character of War seminar programme and is currently collaborating with the Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security.
Mhairi McClafferty is a Policy Fellow at BASIC, where she has worked on the Programme on Nuclear Responsibilities since 2022. Prior to joining BASIC, she was a Project Intern at UN House Scotland, where she supported the Nuclear Disarmament and Human Rights projects.
Her research interests include nuclear diplomacy, conflict resolution, and examining nuclear weapons from humanitarian and gender perspectives. She holds a Master's degree in Diplomacy and International Security and Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Strathclyde. During her undergraduate studies, she also participated in the Erasmus Exchange Programme at the University of Groningen.
Jack Radcliffe is currently a Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprentice at AWE and holds an HND in Chemical Engineering. He previously completed a 15-month placement at Sellafield with a focus on fluid dynamics, decontamination, and radiochemistry. His time there sparked a growing interest in science communication and how it can impact public perception of the nuclear industry.
Combined with a longstanding interest in international politics, this led to his UK PONI Research Topic on how the nuclear industry can help save lives: 'How can the United Kingdom address its dependence on foreign nations to supply critical medical radionuclides?'
Ciara Rushton is a recent BA History and Politics graduate from Magdalen College, University of Oxford, and has spent the last year completing an MA in Intelligence and International Security at King’s College London. She is a Marie-Sklodowska Curie fellow with the International Atomic Energy Association and has worked as a research assistant at the RUSI Centre for Finance and Security.
Her research focuses on nuclear signalling and the role of nuclear weapons in the foreign policy of authoritarian states, with a particular interest in Russia and China
Bailey Schiff is a program coordinator and research assistant with the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Prior to joining CSIS, Bailey was a political intern in the Department of State's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and a legislative intern in the Senate with a foreign policy, national security, and defense portfolio. She holds a BA in international studies from the School of International Service at American University, with concentrations in security and the Middle East.
Adam Sharon is an MPhil candidate in International Relations at the University of Oxford, specialising in political psychology and security studies. He explores how fear and perceived threat influence political decision-making. His dissertation focuses on siege mentality—a society’s persistent belief that it faces existential threat from the international community—and its impact on national deterrence strategies, using Israel as a case study.
Adam previously worked at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel-Aviv, where he researched Middle Eastern security and co-authored analyses on the foreign policies of Egypt and Jordan.
He has also examined how insecurity and political violence shape voter behaviour in Israel, particularly the shift from moderate to more radical right-wing parties. This work reflects his broader interest in how fear drives political choices at both domestic and strategic levels.
He holds a First-Class Honours degree in Politics and Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh.
Sophie Somerville Roberts is an undergraduate student at University College London, studying for a BSc in Politics and International Relations. Going into her second year of studies, she has a growing interest in defense policy, especially long term strategic policy.
With this interest in mind, she is looking to further her understanding of media, social media and wider influences on youth political attitudes. Alongside an interest in strategic policy, she is also interested in the developing capabilities of AI to predict future conflict and instability.
Sadie Stewart is a Graduate Security Consultant working in the Security Assessment and Safeguards team at the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory. Since starting the graduate programme, she has worked on both technical and R&D projects, including work on Secure by Design, the Economics of Small Modular Reactors, and Nuclear Maritime Applications.
Prior to joining UKNNL, Sadie studied an MSc in Counterterrorism at Cranfield University, studying a variety of modules including Risk, Crisis and Resilience, Protecting Critical National Infrastructure, and CBRN Terrorism. Her thesis was titled: ‘Run, Hide, Tell’: Applicability of Pre-Event Communication to IED Terrorist Attacks.
For undergraduate study, Sadie studied an LLB in Law at the University of Nottingham, graduating in 2023.
Danielle Trembath has experience in both the Security and Safety environments. Having studied Intelligence, Security, International Relations and Politics at Kings College London and the University of Bradford, she embarked on a career with UKNNL as a Safety Case Advisor, supporting Safety Case production and management of its implementation.
In recent years, Danielle has developed her capabilities, by transitioning to the role of Security Consultant for the Security Assessment and Safeguards team at UKNNL. She has advised on, and helped progress nuclear projects focussed on nuclear medicine and americium extraction, as well as, providing valuable outputs on security enhancement projects at UKNNL’s active facilities. Proactively, engaging with stakeholders, such as, customers, colleagues and the regulator, Danielle has worked on innovative thinking to security solutions. This was recently illustrated through her work and subsequent production of a paper on ‘Theft and Sabotage Assessment of Nuclear Maritime Applications’.