Hello! My name is Nathan Timbs, and I am a Senior Research Scientist at the National Security Data and Policy Institute at the University of Virginia. I joined NSDPI as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in 2025 and began my current role in 2026.

I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Iowa in 2025, where I studied International Relations and Political Methodology. I also hold an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Iowa and a B.A. in Political Science and Arab Studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

My current research focuses on U.S. national security, supply chain vulnerabilities, counternarcotics, critical minerals, U.S.-China competition, and open-source intelligence. At NSDPI, I conduct policy-relevant research for government and national security stakeholders, with recent work examining fentanyl supply chains, cartel disruption, Persian Gulf helium supply chain risks, maritime security in the Red Sea, and state-backed strategic networks broadly.

My academic research interests remain rooted in international relations, civil war, human rights, rebel governance, and climate change. I am especially interested in questions about the treatment of civilians during conflict, including how rebel organizations govern, how civilians experience violence and protection, and how environmental shocks shape political and humanitarian outcomes.

In my dissertation, I complicate the rebel governance literature by developing a new latent measure of rebel governance that varies across five substantively distinct styles: civilian, international, elite, economic, and local. I examine how rebel military capacity shapes the provision of governance and how different styles of rebel governance influence international involvement during civil war.

I am always happy to connect with people who share similar research interests, work on related policy challenges, or are just interested in talking through ideas, so please do not hesitate to reach out.