Lauren Sukin

Dr. Lauren Sukin serves as an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), with additional affiliations as an editorial fellow at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a centre affiliate at LSE's United States Centre, and an affiliate at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. Her academic profile centers on nuclear security dynamics within international relations frameworks.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Political Science from Stanford University
• MA in Political Science from Stanford University
• BA in Political Science from Brown University
• BA in Literary Arts from Brown University

Dr. Sukin's research examines how credible nuclear guarantees paradoxically generate client-state fears of dependency, driving demands for independent military capabilities. Her work spans nuclear weapons policy, alliance politics, crisis management, cyber security, Korean Peninsula stability, and the intersection of public opinion with security decision-making. She investigates how nuclear superiority fails to guarantee deterrence effectiveness and analyzes the counterproductive nature of regime change rhetoric toward North Korea.

Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals consistent focus on nuclear security challenges within U.S. alliance structures, particularly across the Indo-Pacific and Europe. Her scholarship critically assesses nuclear deterrence theories through empirical crisis analysis, examines public opinion's role in shaping security cooperation, and addresses emerging threats including Russian nuclear signaling and cyber-physical security incidents. A distinctive thread connects nuclear salience reduction strategies with alliance assurance mechanisms in Northeast Asia.