Fiona Cunningham is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. She was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation in 2018-2019.

Fiona’s research interests lie the intersection of technology and conflict, with an empirical focus on China. Fiona’s current book project explains how and why China threatens to use space weapons, cyber attacks and conventional missiles as substitutes for nuclear threats in limited wars. Her research has been published in International Security, Security Studies, The Texas National Security Review, and The Washington Quarterly. Fiona's work has been supported by the Stanton Foundation, Smith Richardson Foundation, and the China Confucius Studies Program. Fiona has also held fellowships at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Fiona received her Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT in 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney, both with first class honors. From 2019 to 2021, she was an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the George Washington University.