Dr Mara Karlin

Dr Mara Karlin is a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Professor of Practice at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and director of the Foreign Policy Institute at SAIS. Karlin has served in national security roles for six US secretaries of defense, advising on policies spanning strategic planning, defense budgeting, the future of conflict, and regional affairs involving the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Most recently, she served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, leading the development and implementation of the 2022 National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review, and Missile Defense Review.