New Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows selected

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Ludmil Alexandrov

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Five new Laboratory Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows have been selected. Candidates for these appointments must display extraordinary ability in scientific research and show clear promise of becoming outstanding leaders with the ability to establish new capabilities. These fellowships provide the opportunity to collaborate with LANL scientists and engineers on staff-initiated research. The Postdoctoral Committee reviews sponsored candidate packages annually. Members of the Lab's technical staff nominate and sponsor the candidates. The categories of fellows and associated awardees are described in the following paragraphs. Technical contact: Mary Anne With

J. Robert Oppenheimer Fellow - This Fellowship, named after the Laboratory’s first Director, recognizes individuals whose research aligns with LANL’s mission.

Ludmil Alexandrov (Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, T-6) earned a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Cambridge. He investigates the mechanisms of the molecular processes involved in somatic mutagenesis and aging. William Hlavacek and Thomas Leitner (T-6) will co-mentor him. Alexandrov has been a research student previously at LANL and the Harvard Medical School, and he also worked for two years as business technology consultant. During his PhD studies, Alexandrov developed the first comprehensive map of the signatures of the mutational processes that cause somatic mutations in human cancer. In 2014, Forbes recognized him as one of the “30 brightest stars under the age of 30 in the field of Science & Healthcare” for his work on cancer.

Pavel Dub (Inorganic, Isotope, and Actinide Chemistry, C-IIAC) received independent PhDs in physical and organoelement chemistry from the A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences and in organometallic and coordination chemistry from the University of Toulouse. His research interests span organometallic and computational quantum chemistry, reaction mechanisms, molecular spectroscopy and molecular catalysis based on organometallic chemistry. Dub’s research focuses on the rational design of novel transition metal-based molecular catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenation of racemic carboxylic acid derivatives based on dynamic kinetic resolution. John Gordon (C-IIAC) will mentor him. He joined LANL as a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow in 2013 prior to receiving the Distinguished Postdoc Fellow appointment.

Hung-Ju Yen (Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, C-PCS) received a PhD in polymer science and engineering from National Taiwan University. Yen studies the organic synthesis of electroactive, high refractive polymers and functional nanographenes with tailored optical and electronic properties. His triarylamine derivatives have led to the world’s best electrochromic devices for electroactive reversibility and coloration efficiency.Yen will examine the application of nanographene derivatives for electrochromic, light-emitting, gas separation, lithium-ion battery, and memory devices. He uses a combined organic synthesis and simulation approach to design molecules with optimized properties. Hsing-Lin Wang (C-PCS) will mentor him. Yen joined LANL as a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow in 2013 prior to receiving the Distinguished Postdoc Fellow appointment.

Frederick Reines Fellow in Experimental Sciences - This Fellowship, named after the former LANL researcher who won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physics, recognizes individuals whose research is in experimental sciences. Candidates must have the ability to obtain a DOE “Q” security clearance, which usually requires U.S. citizenship.

Michael McCumber (Subatomic Physics, P-25) earned a PhD in experimental nuclear physics from Stony Brook University. He studies experimental signatures of energy loss and hydrodynamic flow in Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), a new phase of matter created in collisions of nuclei at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He developed a future jet detector at RHIC to study the microscopic properties of the QGP, as well as a transverse spin asymmetries and nuclear structure. His Ph.D. dissertation on particle correlations in heavy ion collisions was selected for the RHIC and AGS Best Experimental Thesis Award. McCumber serves as a Physics Working Group convener for the PHENIX experiment where he directs the collaboration’s high momentum and large mass particles work. Xiaodong Jiang and Patrick McGaughey (P-25) will co-mentor him. McCumber joined LANL as a Director's Postdoctoral Fellow in 2013 prior to receiving the Distinguished Postdoc Fellow appointment.

Richard P. Feynman Fellow in Theory and Computing – This Fellowship, named after the famed theoretical physicist and winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics, recognizes individuals whose research is in theory or computing. Candidates must have the ability to obtain a DOE “Q” security clearance, which usually requires U.S. citizenship.

Tammie Nelson (Physics and Chemistry of Materials, T-1 and Shock and Detonation Physics, WX-9) received a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Rochester. She combines advanced electronic excited-state modeling and mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics using surface hopping techniques to simulate photoexcited dynamics in extended conjugated molecules. Understanding and control over the photodynamic processes allows the design of functional photoactive materials. Nelson develops combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical excited-state methods for treatment of solvent and thermal bath effects. She studies optical control of photoinduced processes, optical initiation of high energy materials, and examines how the excited-state vibrational modes influence relaxation pathways. Sergei Tretiak (T- 1) and Jason Scharff (WX-9) will co-mentor her. Nelson first came to LANL as a GRA to develop methods for nonadiabatic excited-state molecular dynamics simulations. She joined LANL as a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow in 2013 prior to receiving the Distinguished Postdoc Fellow appointment.

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Pavel Dub

Hung-Ju Yen

Michael McCumber

Tammie Nelson