Francesca Giovannini is the Executive Director of Harvard Belfer’s Initiative on Managing the Atom and the Director of the Harvard MacArthur Research Network on Rethinking Nuclear Deterrence. The network involves over 80 scholars from 15 universities and examines the changing nature of nuclear deterrence in a multipolar world. Dr. Giovannini’s research primarily focuses on nuclear signaling, the evolution of China's nuclear deterrence posture and force structure, and the future of transatlantic relations. She teaches the core class for Harvard’s Nuclear Deterrence Certificate, an intensive program tailored for military and political leadership from the U.S. government and NATO countries.

Dr. Giovannini has served various international organizations. Most recently, she was appointed Senior Policy Adviser to the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), promoting treaty ratification among nuclear-armed states, including the United States, China, and Pakistan.Dr. Giovannini holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford and two master’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. She has published extensively in outlets such as Nature, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Arms Control Today, The National Interest, The Hill, and The Washington Post. She regularly provides commentary for Italian media on NATO, nuclear weapons, emerging technologies, and European security issues.