Current Work
- Facilitating Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Verification
- Verification and monitoring of DPRK WMD programmes
- Support for Nuclear Nonproliferation and support for Implementing safeguards
- Providing support to biological weapons investigation mechanisms
- Support to implementation of Confidence Building Measures (CBM) and international treaties that have monitoring as a core component
- Supporting the verification and future enforcement of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT)
- Nuclear Security
Meet the team

Dr Grant Christopher
Co-Programme Director for Verification and Monitoring
Science & Technology | Verification
Grant is Co-Programme Director in VERTIC’s Verification and Monitoring Programme. He researches nuclear disarmament verification using software modelling, non-proliferation in East Asia and the role of emerging technologies in nuclear proliferation.
Grant holds a PhD in experimental astroparticle physics from New York University. He also holds a Master’s degree in physics and a BA in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge.
In the past Grant was a research scientist at CERN, as a member of Brown University, where he conducted searches for exotic physics and supersymmetry and was a member of the CMS collaboration when they discovered the Higgs boson. For five years Grant was a Research Fellow at King’s College London and the spinout company Ridgeway Information where he worked on nuclear non-proliferation verification through open sources and the impact of emerging technologies on proliferation.
Grant is based in VERTIC’s London office.
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Alberto Muti
Co-Programme Director for Verification and Monitoring
International Relations | Verification
Alberto Muti is Co-Programme Director for VERTIC’s Verification and Monitoring Programme. He leads the programme’s work on IAEA Safeguards and Nuclear Security, and carries out research and analysis on DPRK, nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear verification. He has also contributed to projects on other issues, including chemical security, biological weapons verification, and conventional and cyber security.
Alberto’s work and expertise encompass planning and delivering capacity-building programmes, conducting workshops, designing tabletop simulations and “serious games” for research and training purposes, and developing innovative tools to facilitate and enhance research and analytical work.
Alberto holds a Master’s Degree in Non-Proliferation and International Security for King’s College London. In the past, he has worked for King’s College London’s Center for Science and Security Studies, focusing on Nuclear Security training and education.
Based in London, United Kingdom.
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Noel Stott
Senior Researcher
International Relations | Verification
Noel Stott joined VERTIC in November 2016 after more than 14 years as a Senior Researcher and then Senior Research Fellow at the South African-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS). He has extensive experience in all aspects of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation having worked on the challenges facing African states by the proliferation of conventional weapons. In particular, Mr Stott has knowledge of small arms and light weapons. In 2007, he established and led ISS’ programme on ‘Africa’s Development and the Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction’. This programme aimed to enhance Africa’s role in international efforts to strengthen weapons of mass destruction disarmament and non-proliferation initiatives in the context of Africa’s developmental imperatives through the provision of primary research, policy recommendations and training activities.
Recent publications include: Amelia Broodryk and Noël Stott, ‘Progress towards securing Africa’s nuclear resources’, ISS Research Report, March 2012; Noël Stott, ‘The Treaty of Pelindaba: Towards the full implementation of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty’, ISS Research Report, March 2011; Nicolas Kasprzyk, Mothepa Shadung and Noël Stott (eds), ‘Towards the 2016 Comprehensive Review: former experts assess UNSC Resolution 1540’, ISS Monograph No. 19, October 2015; Nicolas Kasprzyk, Emmanuelle Maitre, Xavier Pasco and Noël Stott, ‘The Hague Code of Conduct regulates ballistic missiles. How will African states benefit from subscribing?’, ISS Policy Brief, 29 September 2016; Annie DuPre, Nicolas Kasprzyk and Noël Stott, ‘Cooperation between African states and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’, ISS Research Report, November 2016; Sarah Parker, Nelson Alusala, Mothepa Shadung and Noël Stott, ‘National implementation of selected arms control instruments: a legislative guide for African states’, ISS Research Report, December 2016.
Based in London, United Kingdom, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Hailey Wingo
Research Assistant
Science & Technology | Verification
Hailey joined VERTIC in January 2023 as a Research Assistant in the VERTIC Verification and Monitoring Programme.
Hailey completed an MA in Science and International Security from King’s College London, where she wrote her dissertation on responsible biosafety management in BSL-4 laboratories worldwide. She also holds a BSc in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Georgia Tech, where she was a Stamps President’s Scholar.
Before joining VERTIC, Hailey worked with the Global Biolabs initiative mapping biosafety and biosecurity governance in countries operating high-containment laboratories. She has also had experience in pharmaceutical process engineering and public affairs.
Based in London, United Kingdom.
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Hugh Chalmers
Senior Researcher
Nuclear Safeguards | Verification
Hugh is a Senior Researcher in the Verification and Monitoring Programme. He carries out research, engagement, and capacity-building to support the verification and monitoring of international agreements, with a particular focus on nuclear non-proliferation and security.
Hugh has worked for more than nine years in regulatory, governmental, and non-governmental positions to strengthen international nuclear safeguards and security. As a Safeguards Inspector for the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation, he helped to build and enforce the UK’s domestic framework for safeguards, influencing improvements to nuclear material accountancy and control at nuclear reactors, reprocessing, and decommissioning sites. As a Policy Advisor to the UK Government, he shaped the UK’s policies towards the IAEA and its surrounding international nuclear security architecture. And as a Researcher at VERTIC and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), he produced analysis on nuclear deterrence, non-proliferation, and threat reduction.
Hugh holds a Master’s Degree in Science and Security from King’s College London, and a BSc(Hons) in Astrophysics from The University of Edinburgh. He is based in VERTIC’s London office.
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