Kaleigh Heard is a researcher, lecturer, practitioner working in the international defence and security sector. She is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the Department of Political Science at University College London and also serves as the Director of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Conflict. Dr Heard’s programme of research focuses on ethico-strategic dilemmas in warfare, particularly human security issues of strategic relevance to the operational effectiveness and mission success of armed groups, such as the protection of civilians, children in armed conflict, and conflict-related sexual violence. She is particularly interested in these issues in the context of coalition and partnered operations.

Kaleigh is a predominantly qualitative research, though draws on a range of mixed methodological approaches within her research and collaborates closely with colleagues with other disciplinary backgrounds. She has conducted research in and on ethico-strategic dilemmas in fragile and conflict-affected environments around the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mali, Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, Greece, the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman. Prior to joining UCL, Kaleigh served in various research, analytical, and advisory roles for world-renowned institutions, including Defence Research and Development Canada, Lumos, Transparency International, and the RAND Corporation. She previously held a Joseph C. Fox International Fellowship at the MacMillan Centre for International and Area Studies at Yale University, a Joseph A. Bombardier Canada Graduate Fellowship at the University of British Columbia, and provided research and advisory services to multiple governments, international organizations, and NGO partners. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, a MA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, a MA in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, and a BA (Hons) in International Relations from the University of Western Ontario.

Dr Heard’s book project, The Price of a Life: The Confluence of Law, Justice, and Strategy in Civilian Harm Compensation will be published in 2024. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Department of National Defence, the US Department of Defense, the UK’s Ministry of Defence, the European Commission, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NATO, and others.