Jon Wolfsthal, Fellow for U.S. Nuclear PolicyPAX sapiens is pleased to announce that Jon Wolfsthal will be our first U.S. nuclear weapon policy fellow. Jon will work to advance work on preventing the use of nuclear weapons, expanding PAX sapiens nuclear risk reduction focus to work on U.S. nuclear policy.
In announcing the new position, PAX sapiens’ Chief Operating Officer Conor Seyle emphasized that finding solutions for the challenge of nuclear weapons in today’s complex security landscape.
“U.S. doctrine, policy, and practice around nuclear weapons is a pivotal part of the global landscape and can support either a more peaceful or a more dangerous global environment. PAX sapiens is committed to having the most constructive impact possible in this new nuclear age and is thrilled that Jon will help support of our expanding work on identifying how U.S. nuclear postures can support a more peaceful world,” said Dr. Seyle.
The PAX sapiens nuclear risk reduction focus is led globally by the Open Nuclear Network program, with open-source research, analytical foresight and engagement of impact-capable networks, specifically centered on Euro-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific regions.
About Jon B. Wolfsthal, PAX sapiens Fellow for U.S. Nuclear Policy
Mr. Wolfsthal is a globally recognized expert on nuclear weapons, deterrence and international security policy. He serves on the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists that sets the doomsday clock. He served most recently as the director for Global Risk at the Federation of American Scientists and was until May 2025 a member of the U.S. Department of State’s International Security Advisory Board. Before 2017, Mr. Wolfsthal served as Special Assistant to President of the United States Barack Obama for National Security Affairs and is a former senior director at the National Security Council for arms control and nonproliferation. He also served from 2009-2012 as Special Advisor to Vice President Joseph R. Biden for nuclear security and nonproliferation and as a director for nonproliferation on the National Security Council.
During his government service, Mr. Wolfsthal has been involved in almost every aspect of U.S. nuclear weapons, deterrence, arms control, nonproliferation policy. He helped negotiate and secure the ratification of the New START arms reduction agreement with the Russian Federation, helped develop nuclear policy including through the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review. He has worked on efforts to secure vulnerable nuclear materials, helped guide U.S. nuclear weapons targeting and deterrent policies, and supported efforts to prevent the acquisition and use of nuclear weapons by North Korea and Iran. He also served as a career civil servant at the U.S. Department of Energy from 1995-1999 in a variety of capacities, including the on-site nuclear monitor at Yongbyon, North Korea during 1995-96.
He is a frequent commentator in the news on nuclear affairs and global security and has worked on the ground in countries including Russia, North Korea, Iran and China to address nuclear risks. Working with security organizations and other nuclear weapons and international security policy experts, Mr. Wolfsthal will explore what practical steps could be taken to reduce risks of nuclear use.
Mr. Wolfsthal has also helped direct work at previous think tanks and universities including the Middlebury Institute for International Studies in Monterey, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
A published author of nonfiction and scholarly works, Mr. Wolfsthal is also a frequent contributor to leading media outlets.
