Iris Malone is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. She is also a research affiliate with the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence. Prior to joining GWU, she was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2019.

Her research agenda includes two projects, which both entail the use of computational social science methods. First, she focuses on the causes of terrorism and insurgency. Second, she focuses on how states identify and respond to emerging security threats.

Terrorism & Insurgency

What causes terrorist and insurgent groups to form? How do they evolve over time? What factors predict conflict escalation?

Threat Detection & Response

Why do states prioritize some militant threats over others? How do states identify emerging militant threats? What factors predict state response?