Public engagement

Keynote speaker

Podcasts and webinars

Watch my TEDx talk here

Public Impact

  • 2020 – Cited by “Political Violence at a Glance” as a Top Read for 2020 (“A Woman’s Place”)
  • 2020 – Shortlisted for the British International Studies Association (BISA) Susan Strange Best Book Prize for “A Woman’s Place: US Counterterrorism Since 9/11.”
  • 2019 – Shortlisted for King’s Award, “Most Outstanding Contribution to Media Engagement Award.” King’s College London.
  • 2019 – Shortlisted for “Women of the Future” award (Commonwealth category). 
  • 2019 – TEDx talk, “A woman’s place in security.” London, UK
  • 2018 – Crowning Achievement Award. Young Alumni of the Year, University of Regina. 
  • 2017 – Selected and profiled as a “CBC Top 40 under 40.”
  • 2017 – “The Fight Against Terrorism.” Degrees Magazine. Fall/Winter 2017. Vol. 29. No. 2. Feature article profiling my research in University of Regina Alumni Magazine.  

Presentations, briefings, lectures (select)

  • Hedayah, International Research Conference and Global Communications Expo, “Children From Families Affiliated With Terrorism: Rehabilitation & Reintegration Considerations,” 20 October, 2024 
  • King’s College London, Department of War Studies and XCEPT, “Affiliated with terrorism: the return and reintegration of IDPs associated with ISIS,” 23 October 2024.
  • Asser Institute Summer School, “The Definition of Terrorism” August 2024.
  • G7 Rapid Response Focal Points Meeting, “AI, terrorism and counterterrorism” Rome, July 2024.
  • 34th Meeting of the European Union Network for investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes (EUROJUST): “Role of females and their intent in committing core international crimes,” November 2023.
  • Hedayah International CVE Conference: “Gendered considerations in assessments: Rehabilitation and reintegration of ISIS-affiliated women and children in Iraq”, October 2023
  • Protection and Justice in a Time of Counter-Terrorism: Insights from France and the UK (King’s College London): “Children as targets of counter-terrorism”, September 2023.
  • Into the Grey: Grey Zone Warfare in Past, Present, and Future (Lancaster University and University of Amsterdam): “Jihadist governance and contemporary conflict: Women affiliated with ISIS and post-conflict considerations,” September 2023.
  • Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN): “PREPARE – structured professional judgement tool”, May 2023
  • International Studies Association: “Five Decades of Research on Women and Terrorism: Examining research trends and identifying gaps,” March 2023.
  • EU, The Working Party on Terrorism (International Aspects) COTER: “Options for EU for Support to Repatriation of Iraqis in al Hol to Iraq
    Assessing capabilities, needs, and opportunities for operational support”, March 2023.
  • European Counter-Terrorism Centre (EUROPOL): ECTC Advisory Network on terrorism and propaganda “Conceptualising terrorism today: expanding threat or widening the net?” where I presented on “Gender dimensions of the far right: A discussion of recent work contrasting jihadist and far right cases,” March 2023. Audience 200+
  • Council on Foreign Relations: ISIS-affiliated women and minors, February 2023
  • US Embassy (Hague) and WIIS-NL: Integrating Women and Children of ISIS, December 2022
  • Community for European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS): ISF Police project Prepare, November 2023
  • U.S. National Intelligence Council and State Department: “The Rule is for None but Allah: Islamist Approaches to Governance,” November 2023
  • CREX/ISGA conference: “Gender dimensions of the far right, a discussion of recent work contrasting jihadist and far right cases,” October 2022.
  • Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies (CASIS): Assessing the implications for children in violent extremist families, August 2022
  • Asser Institute (summer school): Women and terrorism, August 2023
  • EMISA: FTFs and vulnerable groups (CEPOL – EU agency for law enforcement training), April 2022
  • “Misogyny: The Extremist Gateway?” UNDP Prevention of Violent Extremism, Oslo III, 15 June 2021.
  • “A Woman’s Place: Interview with Dr. Joana Cook,” Johns Hopkins University, 11 February 2020.
  • “Dr. Joana Cook on U.S. Counterterrorism Since 9/11,” CSS Speaker Series, Georgetown University Center for Security Studies. 5 February 2020,
  • “Women in counterterrorism and security sector reform, Gulf Research Center Foundation, CARPO (EU-funded). 2019: July (Brussels); September (Berlin); September (Baghdad); December (Hague) 
  • “Post-conflict counterterrorism in Yemen,” King Faisal Centre, December 2019, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • NATO Engages, “NATO: Military Structure.” King’s College London. 26 November 2019.
  • “Women in Terrorism and Counterterrorism Workshop,” NATO-Centre of Excellence-Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT). May 27-28, 2019. Ankara, Turkey.
  • “Incorporate gender considerations in their criminal justice response to violent extremism and terrorism.” UNODC. Vienna, Austria. January 15 – 17, 2019
  • “Preventing violent extremism leading to terrorism and returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters through rule of law-based criminal justice approaches.” UNODC. Tokyo, Japan. December 17-18, 2019.
  • “Gendered Dynamics of Mobilization, Recruitment and Prevention: A Comparative Approach” at conference: “Partnering in Practice: Preventing Social Polarizations.” Public Safety Canada, TSAS, etc. Edmonton, Alberta. November 30 – December 3, 2018.
  • “The role of women in terrorism.” The Cambridge Union, Cambridge University. Cambridge, UK. 23 November 2018.
  • “Sandhurst Trends in International Conflict Series. ‘Violent non-state actors in Modern Conflict’ The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK. November 15, 2018
  • “The changing face of conflict.” Project for the Study of the 21st Century. Whitehall, London, UK. October 2, 2018.
  • “From Daesh to Diaspora: Tracing the women and minors of Islamic State.” The Global Coalition Against Daesh (Strategic Communications Cell). September 26, 2018.
  • “All-of-State approaches to prevent and counter international terrorist networks and foreign terrorist fighters.” UNODC, Terrorism Prevention Branch. Erbil, Iraq. September 17-19, 2018.
  • “The gender dimension of radicalization.” Committee on Non-Discrimination of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. September 19. 2018. Paris, France (presentation delivered remotely via video call).
  • “From Daesh to Diaspora: Tracing the women and minors of Islamic State.” UN Security Council. Presenting research by me and Gina Vale. Session: “Secretary General’s Briefing to the Security Council on Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts. New York, U.S.A. August 22, 2018. We were the first civilians ever to brief this session.
  • “From Daesh to Diaspora: Tracing the women and minors of Islamic State.” UN-CTED and UK Mission to the UN. New York, U.S.A. August 23, 2018
  • “From Daesh to Diaspora: Tracing the women and minors of Islamic State.” NYPD (with Gina Vale). New York, U.S.A. August 23, 2018.
  • “Women research symposium.” UN-CTED and UN Women. New York, U.S.A. July 18, 2018
  • “Women and counterterrorism since 9/11.” Keynote lecture at Hertford College for Hillary Term, Oxford University. February 14, 2018.
  • “Engaging social movement theory to analyze the impact of women in Daesh.” Presentation at Oxford University. Conference: “The Lure of Jihad: Propaganda and the Construction of Jihadi Identities.”  June 28, 2016.
  • “Rebuilding Yemen: Political, Economic and Social Challenges” Book launch, European Council of Foreign Relations, London, UK. November 12, 2015. 
  • “Our Main Concern is Security” Book launch for “Rebuilding Yemen: Political, Economic and Social Challenges.” King Faisal Institute, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. October 5, 2015.
  • “State security reforms: A consideration of Yemen’s security forces and the role of women in relation to state security and stability.” Gulf Research Meeting, Cambridge University, UK. August 24 – 27, 2015.
  • “Women and Extremism” Webinar presentation with Strife and the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security. Online. May 26, 2015.
  • “Shifting Priorities: How International Terrorism and the ‘War on Terror’ Reconstitute Security Agendas – Women, Counterterrorism and the Case of Yemen.” London School of Economics, March 30, 2015.
  • “Women in extremism, countering violent extremism.” 2015 Graduate Student Workshop, Kanishka Project Research Affiliate Program (RAP), Public Safety Canada, Government of Canada. Ottawa, Canada. March 27, 2015.
  • “Women in violent extremist organizations.” Presentation at The International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS). London, UK. March 24, 2015.
  • “‘Our main concern is security.’ A critical examination of the relationship between women’s political participation, engagement in the security sector, and public safety in Yemen.” Gulf Research Meeting, Cambridge University, UK. August 25 – 28, 2014.
  • “The Fog of Peace” Former Undersecretary General of UN, Giandomenico Picco, and Oxford Research Group Middle East Manager Gabrielle Rifkind, King’s College London, May 14, 2014.