Faculty profiles

The FRIB Laboratory offers unparalleled education and research opportunities to graduate students, who routinely meet and work side-by-side with leading researchers in nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics, nuclear chemistry, accelerator physics, and engineering.

There is no better way to begin a career in science than learning and working at a world-leading user facility that attracts scientists from all over the world in the pursuit of their research. You will watch, participate in, and lead discoveries of things no one knew before. In the process you will develop skills and connections that will enable you to excel in a wide variety of exciting careers.

Train with world-leading faculty

FRIB is the world’s leading rare isotope facility, opening new nuclear science frontiers. Earn your graduate degree through MSU’s Physics and Astronomy department, Chemistry department, or College of Engineering by working with the world’s top faculty and staff at FRIB. FRIB faculty have joint appointments with FRIB and the corresponding MSU department. Under the guidance of world-renowned faculty, graduate students in experimental nuclear science are involved with all aspects of performing novel experiments: writing a proposal, designing, testing detectors and electronics, analyzing data and interpreting results.

Current FRIB faculty

FRIB’s faculty profiles offer a snapshot of the dedicated team of professionals who are available to work with you during your time at the laboratory. Research areas include:


 

Accelerator Engineering

Joined the laboratory in 2016.
The development of practical and new cryogenic systems and components needed for the efficient and reliable operation of superconducting accelerators is my primary interest.
Joined the laboratory in 2018.
At the MSU Cryogenic Initiative, we offer opportunities both in theoretical and applied research on thermal-hydraulic process equipment and systems for cryogenic applications. My research focus is toward the advancement of cryogenic processes and technology, specifically in regard to helium refrigeration, heat exchangers, multi-phase flow and heat transfer, and gas purification.
Joined the laboratory in 2016.
Contemporary and planned accelerator facilities are pushing against several development frontiers.
Joined the laboratory in 2016.
Particle accelerators are major tools for discovery in nuclear physics, high-energy physics, and basic energy science.
Joined the laboratory in 2010.
My scientific research involves accelerator physics of high-energy colliders and high-intensity hadron accelerators, beam cooling and crystallization, development of spallation neutron sources, development of compact pulsed hadron sources, development of hadron therapy facilities, development of accelerator-driven sub-critical reactor programs for thorium energy utilization and nuclear waste transmutation, and development of accelerators for rare-isotope beams.

Accelerator Physics

Joined the laboratory in 2016.
A particle accelerator is designed to accelerate basic charged particles, such as electrons, protons, and ions, to higher energy.
Joined the laboratory in 2014.
A common theme in my research is to identify, understand, and control processes that can degrade the quality of the beam by increasing phase-space area or can drive particle losses.
Joined the laboratory in 2016.
Particle accelerators are major tools for discovery in nuclear physics, high-energy physics, and basic energy science.
Joined the laboratory in 2012.
The accelerator is the base tool for nuclear physics, high-energy physics, light sources, medical applications, and so on.
Joined the laboratory in 2010.
My scientific research involves accelerator physics of high-energy colliders and high-intensity hadron accelerators, beam cooling and crystallization, development of spallation neutron sources, development of compact pulsed hadron sources, development of hadron therapy facilities, development of accelerator-driven sub-critical reactor programs for thorium energy utilization and nuclear waste transmutation, and development of accelerators for rare-isotope beams.
Joined the laboratory in 2012.
My research group’s focus is to advance the application of superconductivity to large-scale accelerators.

Experimental Atomic Physics

Joined the laboratory in 2014.
Physicists believe that there were equal amounts of matter and antimatter in the early history of the universe, but now the observable universe is composed of matter – so how did the antimatter vanish?
Joined the laboratory in 2023.
Why is the Universe we live in made of matter, instead of anti-matter? What is dark matter made of? These mysteries in modern physics can be addressed by studying the fundamental symmetries of nature. My research at FRIB investigates these fundamental questions using ‘table-top’ size experiment.

Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics

Joined the laboratory in 2007.
My research is on the field of experimental nuclear astrophysics.
Joined the laboratory in 1999.
The goal of our experimental and theoretical research program is to understand the nuclear processes that shape the cosmos by creating elements and generating energy.
Joined the laboratory in 2007.
The elements we observe today on earth were all created inside stars. My group works on understanding how different stellar environments contribute to the synthesis of elements we see in the universe.
Joined the laboratory in 2011.
Our research focuses on studying nuclei experimentally to probe fundamental questions about our Universe.
Joined the laboratory in 2003.
The research in our group focuses on the spin-isospin response of nuclei of relevance for astrophysics, neutrino physics, giant resonances and evolution of nuclear structure.

Experimental Nuclear Physics

Joined the laboratory in 1994.
The focus of my research is centered on the study of exotic nuclei and the most efficient ways to unravel their properties.
Joined the laboratory in 2000.
My research interests are related to nuclear and atomic physics with focus on the study of basic properties of atomic nuclei very far away from the valley of stability.
Joined the laboratory in 2002.
The focus of my research is the structure of atomic nuclei in the regime of very unbalanced proton and neutron numbers.
Joined the laboratory in 2018.
My research is in experimental nuclear physics with a focus on neutron-rich isotopes along the neutron dripline.
Joined the laboratory in 2009.
My research focuses on the investigation of the structure and dynamics of rare isotopes which have unusual proton-to-neutron ratios compared to stable nuclei that exist in nature.
Joined the laboratory in 1980.
We have a broad experimental program in nuclear physics. The main thrust of our program is to determine how the equation of state of nuclear matter changes when we increase the fraction of nucleons that are neutrons in the matter.
Joined the laboratory in 2004.
My current research interest is to measure the size, shape, or the charge radius of radioactive nuclides that occur near the limit of nuclear existence.
Joined the laboratory in 2011.
Since my university studies, first in Germany and later in France, I involved myself in very general problematics, such as the foundation of quantum mechanics (Bell inequality), together with more practical applications, such as nuclear energy and environment.
Joined the laboratory in 2010.
My research interests reside at the interface between nuclear and particle physics.
Joined the laboratory in 2023.
My research interests hinge around the study of nuclear forces at play in nuclei with large neutron to proton asymmetry.
Joined the laboratory in 2009.
My primary research interests include nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, and fundamental interactions.
Joined the laboratory in 1985.
I study methods for production and separation of rare isotopes.
Joined the laboratory in 2014.
Physicists believe that there were equal amounts of matter and antimatter in the early history of the universe, but now the observable universe is composed of matter – so how did the antimatter vanish?
Joined the laboratory in 2001.
My primary research interest is centered on the production of rare isotope beams with fragment separators and the study of the structure of nuclei at the limits of existence.
Joined the laboratory in 1980.
As an experimentalist, I study collisions of nuclei at energies at approximately half the speed of light.
Joined the laboratory in 2003.
The research in our group focuses on the spin-isospin response of nuclei of relevance for astrophysics, neutrino physics, giant resonances and evolution of nuclear structure.

Inorganic Chemistry

Joined the laboratory in 2022.
The Gaiser Group’s research is targeted at meeting societal needs for better energy and medical applications.

Nuclear Chemistry

Joined the laboratory in 2016.
My research focuses on using nuclear reactions to probe how neutrons and protons behave in systems ranging from atomic nuclei to neutron stars.
Joined the laboratory in 2009.
The research carried out in my group addresses two critical questions in low-energy nuclear science: (1) how do we achieve a comprehensive and predictive model of the atomic nucleus and (2) how are elements made in during the explosive end of a massive star?

Radiochemistry

Joined the laboratory in 2022.
At FRIB, a variety of by-product radionuclides will be created that are of immense value for numerous disciplines, viz. nuclear medicine, astrophysics, and Stockpile Stewardship Science.
Joined the laboratory in 2022.
The Gaiser Group’s research is targeted at meeting societal needs for better energy and medical applications.
Joined the laboratory in 2016.
Our group is developing a method for collecting and purifying byproduct radionuclides from FRIB called “isotope harvesting.”

Theoretical Astrophysics and Nuclear Astrophysics

Joined the laboratory in 2004.
My work connects observations of neutron stars with theoretical and laboratory studies of dense matter.
Joined the laboratory in 2015.
My research centers around unraveling the mystery of how massive stars explode at the end of their lives.
Joined the laboratory in 2015.
My research focuses on the growth and evolution of galaxies over the age of the Universe, as well as understanding the behavior of the hot, diffuse plasmas that constitute much of the baryons in and around galaxies.

Theoretical Nuclear Physics

Joined the laboratory in 2007.
My research focuses on applications of renormalization group (RG) and effective field theory (EFT) methods to the microscopic description of nuclei and nuclear matter.
Joined the laboratory in 1982.
My research in theoretical nuclear physics is motivated by broad questions in science: What are the fundamental particles of matter?
Joined the laboratory in 1988.
My area of research involves studying the central energetic reactions of heavy nuclei, which help test bulk nuclear properties such as the nuclear equation of state.
Joined the laboratory in 2023.
My research focuses on improving the theoretical description of reactions involving exotic nuclei that is needed to interpret experimental data and to arrive at a more fundamental understanding of the nuclear structure and reactions.
Joined the laboratory in 2014.
My group is developing sophisticated computational many-body methods for nuclei and other strongly correlated quantum systems, and applying them to address scientific questions ranging from the validation of nature’s fundamental symmetries at the smallest scales to the origin of elements in the cosmos.
Joined the laboratory in 2012.
I am a theoretical physicist with an interest in many-body theory in general, and the nuclear many-body problem and nuclear structure problems in particular.
Joined the laboratory in 2017.
The Lee research group is focused on connecting fundamental physics to forefront experiments.
Joined the laboratory in 2014.
The main area of my professional activity is the theoretical description of short-lived nuclei that inhabit remote regions of the nuclear landscape. This research invites a strong interaction between nuclear physics, applied mathematics and statistics, and high-performance computing.
Joined the laboratory in 2003.
Unstable nuclei are mostly studied through reactions, because they decay back to stability, often lasting less than a few seconds.
Joined the laboratory in 1992.
By colliding heavy ions, such as gold or lead nuclei, at high energies, extremely hot and dense environments are produced, with temperatures exceeding trillions of Kelvin.
Joined the laboratory in 1992.
A complex nucleus is a great example of mesoscopic systems, in between microscopic and macroscopic worlds, with wealth of problems typical for both.
Joined the laboratory in 2024.
My research centers on bulk properties of dense strongly interacting matter, often summarized in the form of its equation of state (EOS) or phase diagram.