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Postdoc Program

​​​​​Postdoc Program

The postdoc program at GTSI-INL provides opportunities to highly qualified individuals who have a specific interest in actinide chemistry as it relates to basic science, the nuclear fuel cycle, reactor operation and engineering, waste minimization and treatment, and other technical fields. Various sources of funding can be leveraged to support this research and will differ in each case. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Don Wood at Don.Wood@inl.gov.


Current Postdocs at GTSI-INL

Ashini Jayasinghe

​​​​​Dr. Ashini Jayasinghe has expertise in synthesizing and characterizing lanthanide and actinide-based compounds. She has studied uranium-based metal-organic nanotubes and actinide intermetallic materials suitable for long-term nuclear waste storage. She is interested in exploring the impact of c​ontaminants in the speciation of actinide salts related to molten salt reactors. Because these contaminants can affect the rheological properties (i.e., density, viscosity, and Newtonian ideality), which inherently affects th​e flow and heat transfer properties of the reactor salt. ​


​Glenn T. Seaborg Distinguished Postdoc Research Associate

For more than six decades, Idaho National Laboratory scientists and engineers have helped solve some of the nation's most pressing energy, environment, and national security challenges. The advancement of actinide chemistry and physics is a fundamental part of the INL mission. In order to support that effort, the laboratory is offering a valuable opportunity for top Ph.D. researchers in related fields.

The Glenn T. Seaborg Distinguished Postdoc program is designed to nurture early-career Ph.D. scientists and engineers with a specific focus on the actinide elements in support of nuclear energy, nuclear fuel cycle, waste treatment, and proliferation topics. This highly competitive appointment will provide the candidate with a very structured environment centered on specific research topics while allowing flexibility to further the candidate's interests. The full support of the national laboratory, along with energetic and talented colleagues, will offer the candidate an excellent opportunity for development of a rewarding career in this field.

Ideal candidates will have exceptional talent, scientific track records, and potential to become impactful players in the field of actinide studies. The preferred candidates will have experience and interest in solid-state chemistry, nuclear physics, solution chemistry, materials science, radiation chemistry, and other actinides-related fields.

The Glenn T. Seaborg Distinguished Postdoc appointment awards up to two years of research support to the selected candidate with a possible one-year extension. The GTSI-INL mission is to develop the candidate for a possible long-term career following a successful appointment.​

Past Postdocs at GTSI-INL​ 

Maria del Rocio Rodriguez Laguna
​​Dr. Rocio Rodriguez Laguna​ is an expert in sensor technology related to molten salts and other extreme environments.  ​
Dr. Trishelle Copeland-Johnson

Dr. Trishelle Cope​land-Johnson is a materials engineering researcher interested in optimizing the high-performance of materials by developing property-performance relationships using materials characterization techniques and chemical engineering principles. Her application experience includes biomaterials for therapeutic treatments for articular cartilage, oxidation resistance of nuclear fuel rods, thin-film solar technologies, and industrial lubricant​s.

Dr. Xiaxin Ding

Dr. Xiaxin Ding​ is a recognized expert in quantum magnetism, multiferroics, and strongly correlated systems.

Dr. Kabir

Dr. Firoza Kabir is an expert in the measurement of thermal, magnetization, and transport properties of topological, quantum, and correlated materials as well as the spectroscopic characterization of 5f electron (actinide) systems. ​

Dr. Thibaut Lecrivain

​Dr. Thibaut Lecrivain is an expert in the separation of actinide and fission products in liquid solutions with application to the fuel cycle and isotope production.

Corey Pilgrim

​Dr. Corey Pilgrim's​ expertise includes Solution and Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy, Complexation Thermodynamics and Kinetics, Actinide Chemistry, Radiation Chemistry, High-Pressure Spectroscopy, Aluminum Chemistry, and Material Characterization. ​


Charlyne Smith

Dr. Charlyne Smith's expertise includes the elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for the formation of the high burnup structure in nuclear fuel. She is interested in the advanced characterization and post-irradiation examination to understand nuclear fuel evolution for qualification. She has a professional interest in the development of nuclear engineering education infrastructure in the Caribbean.​​

Dr. Shuixiang Zhou

​Dr. Shuixiang Zhou's research interests lie in nuclear material performance, including phonon behavior, elastic properties, and electron and thermal transports under various conditions using advanced computational methods, such as density functional theory and machine learning.

Yi Xie

Dr. Yi Xie's research interests include corrosion in nuclear systems, advanced nuclear fuel, sensor materials, and technology development, advanced sintering technology development, and geological repositories of radioactive waste. The research focuses on fundamental understanding and engineering applications of nuclear materials, including materials exposed to extreme environments under irradiation and complex chemistry conditions. She designed and developed multiple complex te​​st systems for nuclear materials study. She has extensive experience in advanced fuel fabrication, characterization, and development, based on her employment at INL and Purdue University.​​