Nathaniel A. Raymond

Nathaniel A. Raymond serves as Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and as a Lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at YSPH. Previously, he was a Lecturer of Global Affairs at the Jackson School for Global Affairs from 2018-2022. Prior to Yale, he founded and directed the Signal Program on Human Security and Technology at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative from 2012-2018 and served as Director of Operations for the Satellite Sentinel Project from 2010-2012.

Raymond's research focuses on three interconnected domains: the health implications of forced displacement; methodologies for assessing large-scale disasters including pandemics; and the human rights implications of information communication technologies (ICTs) for vulnerable populations in armed conflict. His work combines public health, human rights, and technology to document humanitarian crises through evidence-based approaches. He has pioneered the use of satellite imagery and digital technologies to monitor attacks on civilians and healthcare infrastructure in conflict zones like Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. Recent research includes documenting Russia's systematic abduction of Ukrainian children and analyzing damage to medical facilities in war zones.

Analysis of Raymond's publication record reveals a consistent progression from traditional epidemiological approaches to innovative methodologies combining public health with digital technologies. His recent work demonstrates increasing use of geospatial analysis and remote sensing to document human rights violations and inform accountability mechanisms. The research spans conflict-related public health, refugee mental health assessment, and ethical considerations in humanitarian data use, with publications appearing in Nature, The Lancet, and other high-impact journals.

Raymond has formally advised multiple UN agencies, governmental bodies, and non-governmental organizations including the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in South Sudan, UN High Commission for Refugees, Save the Children, International Committee of the Red Cross, Association of South East Asian Nations, and the US Naval War College's Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response program. His Humanitarian Research Lab has secured funding for projects related to Ukraine's abducted children and conflict monitoring in Sudan.

As Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab, Raymond leads a team that analyzes and preserves open source and remote sensing data, including satellite imagery and social media information, consistent with international legal standards for use in accountability mechanisms. The lab maintains rigorous chain-of-custody procedures for data preservation and provides real-time analyses to support healthcare delivery in conflict settings. Recent projects include the Ukraine Conflict Observatory documenting Russia's program of coerced adoption of Ukrainian children and the Sudan Conflict Observatory tracking humanitarian crises in that country.