Dr. Sonia Ben Ouagrham is a Senior Project Manager in the CNS Washington, D.C. office, and Editor-in-Chief of the NIS Export Control Observer, a monthly newsletter devoted to the analysis of WMD export control issues in the NIS. Dr. Ben Ouagrham is also an adjunct professor at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University, where she teaches a course on WMD in the former Soviet Union (FSU). She received her Ph.D. in Economics of Development at the Advanced School of Social Sciences in Paris, France.

Dr. Ben Ouagrham's main research interests are export controls in the former Soviet Union (FSU), WMD-related trafficking in the FSU, the challenges of preventing the transfer of WMD-related knowledge and tacit know-how, control mechanisms and legislation related to BW related material in the FSU, and conversion of former biological and chemical facilities in the FSU. Currently Dr. Ben Ouagrham is conducting studies dealing with the nexus between WMD-related trafficking, organized crime and terrorism in the FSU; proliferation financing; and the role of tacit knowledge in the transfer of BW knowledge.

Dr. Ben Ouagrham has organized several training workshops on biosafety/security and export control for former BW scientists in the FSU, as well as workshops on nonproliferation and export control for law enforcement agencies in the FSU. In 2002-2005 she conducted a study of the Anti-Plague System of Central Asia and the Caucasus, and participated in a CTR-funded program aimed at curbing the proliferation threat from former Biological Weapons facilities in Russia.

In 1999-2001, Dr. Ben Ouagrham was Research Coordinator in the CNS Almaty office in Kazakhstan. During that period, she conducted studies on the restructuring of the nuclear sector in Russia and on the conversion of BW facilities in the FSU . Dr. Ben Ouagrham was a key contributor to Anatomy of the Russian Conversion (2001, edited by Vlad Genin). She also conducted field research for a study on conversion of BW facilities in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

In 1998-99, Dr. Ben Ouagrham was a Post-doctoral fellow in CNS-Monterey, where she worked on an evaluation of the U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction program. Prior to coming to CNS, Dr. Ben Ouagrham was a researcher at the Advanced School of Social Sciences in Paris where she conducted a study on the regional aspects of defense conversion in Russia.

Her recent publications include: "The Anti-Plague System in the Newly Independent States, 1992 onward" http://cns.miis.edu/research/antiplague/index.htm; "Nuclear Terrorism's Fatal Assumptions", The Bulletin Online, October 23, 2007; "An Unrealized Nexus? WMD-related Trafficking, Terrorism, and Organized Crime in the Former Soviet Union," Arms Control Today, July/August 2007; "Plagued with Errors: New Approaches Needed to Tackle Proliferation Threats From the Anti-Plague System," Arms Control Today, March 2006; "Growth of the Anti-Plague System during the Soviet Period," Critical Reviews in Microbiology, February 2006. "What Non-proliferation Policy for the Soviet Anti-Plague System?" and Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley, Alexander Melikishvili and Raymond Zilinskas, Critical Reviews in Microbiology, February 2006.

Export Controls
Nuclear, chemical and biological export controls in the FSU

Smuggling
WMD-related illicit trafficking in the FSU

Chemical and Biological Weapons:
Conversion of BW and CW facilities in the NIS
Biosafety/security and legislation controlling BW material in the FSU
Brain drain of scientists

Regional Expertise:
Russia and Newly Independent States
Central Asia
Caucasus

Other:
Defense conversion
Tacit knowledge