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Researcher Profiles

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Joshua Vaughan standing by a machine at the MDF

Joshua Vaughan leads ORNL’s Manufacturing Robotics and Controls Group at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, where his team develops smarter, more flexible robotic systems to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. 

ORNL researcher Christi Johnson is reaching inside a cabinet

From racing dragsters at 145 miles per hour to leading advanced sensor research, Christi Johnson has built a career defined by precision, persistence and applied physics. Now a technical professional at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, she designs and tests cutting-edge technologies while mentoring the next generation of innovators.

Radiochemist in the lab with coat and equipment

Radiochemist Pavithra Kankanamalage is improving radioisotope separations at ORNL to boost their availability for cancer treatments and other medical uses. Her work also fulfills a childhood promise inspired by her grandfather’s battle with cancer.

Outdoor image of an ORNL researcher leaning on a bridge.

Brian Davison has spent 40 years at ORNL driving discoveries in lignin chemistry and thermodynamics that have helped shape the nation’s bioeconomy. His career blends scientific breakthroughs with a commitment to mentoring, collaboration and turning research into technologies that make a real-world impact.

Graphic with image of Innovations Crossroads team member of Cohort 2024

From the world of research papers and cubicles, Kevin Roccapriore has made a leap into the entrepreneurial arena with Innovation Crossroads, a Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that provides support for startups like Roccapriore’s AtomQ. 

ORNL researcher Priya Ranjan standing outside in front of brick pillars

From decoding plant genomes to modeling microbial behavior, computational biologist Priya Ranjan builds computational tools that turn extensive biological datasets into real-world insights. These tools transform the way scientists ask and answer complex biological questions that advance biotechnology breakthroughs and support cultivation of better crops for energy and food security. 

ORNL researcher is sitting at a transmission electron microscopy board in a lab at ORNL

As the focus on energy resiliency and competitiveness increases, the development of advanced materials for next-generation, commercial fusion reactors is gaining attention. A recent paper examines a promising candidate for these reactors: ultra-high-temperature ceramics, or UHTCs.

Paul Kairys

Distinguished Staff Fellow, Paul Kairys is exploring the next frontier: bridging quantum computing with neutron science. His research aims to integrate quantum algorithms with neutron scattering experiments, opening new possibilities for understanding materials at an atomic level. Distinguished Staff Fellowship

ORNL researcher Jesse Labbe is working with plants in a greenhouse. He is framed on all sides with bright green leaves

Jesse Labbé aims to leverage biology, computation and engineering to address societal challenges related to energy, national security and health, while enhancing U.S. competitiveness. Labbé emphasizes the importance of translating groundbreaking research into practical applications that have real-world impact.

Scientist standing beside mass spectrometry equipment in a laboratory, with instrumentation panels and analysis tools visible in the background

Robert “Bob” Hettich, an ORNL Corporate Fellow, is a pioneer in using mass spectrometry to uncover how microbes interact within complex environments and influence larger systems like plants and humans. A founder of the field of metaproteomics, he leads research that supports bioenergy, environmental resilience and health through advanced protein analysis.