Lydia Wright is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Science & Security Studies (CSSS), where she focuses on proliferation finance and strategic trade controls.

She holds a master of arts in National Security Studies from King’s College London, where her research centred on international sanctions and nuclear deterrence. Her dissertation examined the influence of revolutionary ideology on Iran’s deterrence strategy during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, focusing on the role of sanctions and Iran’s network of proxy actors. Lydia also earned a bachelor of arts with honours in History and International Relations from the University of Exeter in Devon.

Lydia previously worked in the financial services industry as a compliance officer in Sydney, Australia, contributing to anti-money laundering (AML) initiatives, including risk assessments, regulatory reporting and the implementation of compliance frameworks to combat financial crime. Before joining CSSS, she served on the steering committee for the London Defence Conference, where she hosted a cybersecurity panel featuring experts from the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), BAE Systems and other leading organisations.

Lydia is currently learning Spanish and Arabic (Levantine).

Qualifications

• MA in National Security Studies, King’s College London (2024)
• BA in History and International Relations, University of Exeter (2022)

Research

• Export controls and compliance
• Proliferation and procurement networks, related logistics and finance
• Strategic trade controls implementation and compliance
• International sanctions