Lauren Mooney is the Senior Specialist for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS) at the International Republican Institute (IRI). At IRI, Lauren led a year-long research endeavor which aimed to gather evidence-based lessons on democracy and governance in fragile settings. Additionally, she has provided technical assistance to democracy and governance programs in over 15 countries on issues related to social cohesion, conflict analysis and local legitimacy. Prior to joining IRI, Lauren was a program manager and research associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she analyzed issues such as human rights, security, gender and closing civic space.