Meet the Team: National Security and Critical Infrastructure

Laura’s technical expertise includes reactor physics assessments for current and novel fuel types, nuclear criticality safety analyses, and radiation transport. A new focus is on algorithm development for improved detection of radionuclides for security applications. This pairs expertise in radiation physics modelling of particular systems of interest with application of machine learning for spectral analysis. She is currently the technical lead for a project on neutron detection and spectral analysis and is a member of the Nuclear Criticality Safety Panel at CNL.

Richard Brown is a Senior Cyber Security Lead in the Applied Physics Branch at CNL. He is part of a team that leverages a hardware-in-the-loop mock-up of a Nuclear Power Plant to conduct research designed to advance the cyber security of operational technology (OT). Research outcomes help to inform regulations and improve the practical application of OT cyber security in Nuclear and other critical infrastructure.

Richard’s current cyber security work addresses compliance and maturity assessments, supply chain methodologies, roles-based training, incident response exercises (tabletop, functional and blended physical/cyber), and maturity of cyber security practices and metrics.  Richard shares his expertise with numerous industry groups (CSA, EPRI, COG) that are addressing the challenges of digitalization, cyber threat resilience, and performance metrics.

Contact Ryan to discuss how CNL’s capabilities in nuclear safety, security, detection, forensics or cyber security can be applied to help you succeed.

Tel: 613-633-7959

Email: [email protected]

Nicolas is a chemist responsible of the radiochemical analysis section of the Nuclear response and analysis branch (NR&AB). His group is currently performing research to develop new radiochemical measurement methods. The current focus is on the measurement of low level radioactivity in environmental and bioassay samples. He has expertise in radiometric measurement methods such as alpha spectrometry and liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and also mass spectrometry techniques such as inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Nicolas is the Canadian chair of the mirror committee for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the measurement of radioactivity in water under the Standard Councils of Canada (SCC).

The focus of Luke Lebel’s research at CNL is on the implications of nuclear accidents and radiological incidents, and on how to protect the public from them.  Dr. Lebel’s main expertise is on the transport of radionuclides out of, for example, nuclear power plant containment buildings and out into the environment, as well as the aerosol science and fluid mechanics expertise that supports those efforts.  Highlights of his past work include analysis of environmental radioiodine transport in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, and of the full scale radiological dispersal device experiments.  He is currently leading efforts on the development of new tools and techniques for advanced radiological measurements, real-time dose protection tools, and decision support systems to help emergency responders better respond to a major accident.

Liqian brings 20 years’ experience in radiation detection technology for nuclear safety and security. He has designed advance data acquisition systems dealing with partial energy, pulse shape, timing, and position information, and is an expert in research reactor modeling using neutron flux perturbation method.  He is currently working on active interrogation techniques for detecting Special Nuclear Materials, and PVT (polyvinyltoluene) panel coincidence technology.

Katy Hartling heads the Nuclear Security Section, which provides computational and experimental expertise to a wide variety of nuclear security projects. She is a theoretical physicist with expertise in analytical and computational physics, simulation, and modelling. Recently she has been developing algorithms for imaging nuclear materials using cosmic-ray muons and locating nuclear sources based on neutron signals. Some of her other recent research has focused on medical isotope production, neutron generation and detection, probabilistic safety analysis, and SMRs. Her past work has further included projects related to nuclear data library development, thermal neutron scattering experiments, fuel characterization by isotopic signatures, and the ZED-2 research reactor.

Marienna heads a section that focuses on researching cyber security solutions for industrial controls systems.  The work carried out by the group ranges widely, from developing new technologies for detecting anomalies on industrial networks or securing remote communications to a small modular reactor, to developing methodologies for securing the supply chain, measuring security effectiveness within organizations,  or conducting incident response exercises to improve preparedness and recovery should a cyber-attack occur.   Marienna brings to bear 30+ years in software engineering quality assurance for mission critical systems, to ensuring work is planned, executed, and communicated to a high standard.  Marienna was the Canadian representative on an international committee developing guidance for securing the supply chain, and she has played a lead role developing computer-based cyber security training materials for a technical audience.

Dr. Dev Minotra is a Human Performance Scientist in the Nuclear Response & Analysis Branch at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. His work is focused in emergency preparedness and response in the context of radiological/nuclear events. Dev’s interests include cognitive readiness, human error, staffing capacity, cognitive biases, interruptions, attention, non-technical skills, interface design, and systems evaluation. Dev has experience synthesizing reviews of research articles and can offer insights in complex problems related to human performance, safety, and decision making. Prior to joining CNL, Dev worked in the healthcare industry as a Human Factors Specialist where he provided recommendations to address human error in hospital pharmacies, neonatal intensive care, and logistics.

Evan’s work is focused on advancing radiation technologies for border security and nuclear non-proliferation. This includes the development, improvement and validation of muon tomography detectors and algorithms for the detection of shielded special nuclear materials. Evan is also leading the development of a prototype liquid argon detector for the screening of cargo containers at Canadian borders. This potentially disruptive technology, which is currently being employed to search for dark matter in the universe, offers an enhanced sensitivity to special nuclear materials via pulse-shape discrimination. Outside of nuclear safety and security, Evan works with a team of scientists studying the transient behaviour of reactors using CNL’s ZED-2 reactor, a versatile heavy-water moderated low-power research reactor.

Details to come.

Dave holds significant expertise is in the areas of cyber security, supervisory control and data acquisition systems, real-time software development for mission critical systems, standards compliance, and project management.  Dave has been instrumental in establishing CNL’s research capability in cyber security for industrial control systems, securing investment in multi-million dollar projects and facilities as well as establishing international partnerships and collaborating relationships.

Marina is an analytical chemist and heads the nuclear forensics section within the Nuclear Response and Analysis Branch at CNL.  Nuclear forensics uses a wide range of techniques to characterize material in the context of an interdiction and subsequent possible legal investigation. Considerations are given to safety, preservation of evidence and ultimately may include a wide variety of non‑destructive and destructive analyses to answer questions such as the source, intended purpose, and diversion pathway to support a criminal investigation. This relatively new group centralizes connections to on-going research, development and characterization of materials related to nuclear forensics as well as applying nuclear techniques to detection of other threats to Canadians such as the opioid crisis and improvised explosives.  Marina’s work in nuclear forensics includes high precision isotope ratio measurement of uranium ore concentrates, participation in national and international exercises, and development of novel methods such as age-dating materials.

Bryan heads the Experimental Safeguards section which focuses on research and development of technical measures for implementing safeguards of nuclear material. He has led projects and project tasks in the area of nuclear material detection, safeguards, and non-proliferation.  Currently, he is technical lead for a project on passive nuclear material detection and reactor monitoring techniques, and a commercial project with a small modular reactor (SMR) vendor focused on developing a safeguards approach for their reactor design.  He recently participated in a Canada-wide task team examining principles for revising security regulations for SMRs.  He is representing Canada in the revision of the manual on proliferation resistance of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO), and as a member of the Generation IV Forum Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group.

Zahra Yamani holds a Ph.D. in experimental condensed matter physics from the University of Toronto and has extensive expertise in quantum technology, with a focus on quantum materials and quantum sensing. Her research encompasses advanced experimental techniques, including neutron scattering, nuclear quadrupole resonance, and nuclear magnetic resonance, alongside other materials characterization methods.

Throughout her career, Zahra has worked on interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of fundamental physics and applied research. Leveraging her strong background in materials science, she is advancing shielding materials for space and nuclear applications and contributing to the development of novel detector technologies for neutrons and other radiation types. Her work also involves developing neutron sources for various scientific and technological applications.