October 23, 2025
What do you like about your job and/or about working at the Lab?
I enjoy working with and learning from colleagues who have incredible expertise and interests. They have taught me how to be a better scientist and have expanded my skill set considerably. I continue to learn how to use instruments that have been intimidating but are so powerful and unique.
What do your day-to-day work activities include?
Developing and conducting experiments, coordinating logistics and communicating with onsite and external colleagues, analyzing data, and writing reports, manuscripts, and proposals.
What is one project you’re really proud to have worked on?
I'm proud to have contributed to the numerous algal and bacterial projects that range from fundamental understanding of how microbes shape our world to leveraging their fast growth and unique metabolisms to generate sustainable bioproducts. There are several projects that have specifically looked at how bacterial communities (also known as microbiomes) contribute to algal health—whether they're helpful if they're attached or not, which bacterial species are helping, if they can protect algae from high light and temperature, and which are providing and/or regenerating algal nutrients. I am proud of these outputs and am grateful to have developed them with some amazing colleagues.
What is your educational/career background?
I have an associate’s degree from Solano Community College. Then, I transferred to UC San Diego for a B.S. in cell biology and biochemistry and stuck around for M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in marine biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
What inspired you to go into science/your field of work?
I remember talking with my dad when I was 8 or 9 about what I wanted to be when I grew up. He threw out some ideas and one of them was "biologist," which prompted me to ask, "what's that?" One example he gave was understanding how and why gorillas walk on their knuckles. It was then that I learned a person's job could be to study how organisms worked, and it…Blew. My. Mind. I later learned that organisms impact their environment physically and chemically and that microbes do this constantly. I was, and continue to be, hooked.
What advice would you give to a new employee at the Lab?
Short advice: Learn, think out the box, and be merry.
Long advice: Attend talks and ask questions. Become indispensable. Think of new ways to answer old questions and vice versa. Try to make friends with fellow new employees that work on similar projects or have an office near you. Meet for drinks, coffee, tea, lunch, dinner, etc. This is the first step to creating a network that will last your entire career since those connections will snowball into more connections. Ask for introductions to other staff if you'd like to learn about their work and possibly drum up a collaboration.
What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?
You'll find me hanging out with my 7-year-old son, 5-year-old daughter, and wife. We do most things together, including growing vegetables, cultivating and maintaining our California native plants, hiking, and working on/maintaining our cars and my motorcycle (this is usually a solo hobby).
How many years have you worked at the Lab?
10
Where are you from?
Vacaville, CA
Do you support disciplines or programs outside PLS?
Global Security
October 22, 2025
What do you like about your job and/or about working at the Lab?
Working at the Lab, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to address the grand challenges that our nation faces and solve challenging scientific problems. It has been a great experience working with talented colleagues, postdocs, and students, expanding my research portfolio, and building a broad collaboration network.
What do your day-to-day work activities include?
My day-to-day activities may vary depending on my research and management priorities. As my research area expands and I devote more effort to program development, I spend the majority of my time mentoring postdocs and students, engaging with my management team, and keeping track of recent research developments.
What is one project you’re really proud to have worked on?
It is pretty hard to choose one project. I started my career at the Lab working on modeling solid-state batteries. Over the years, I have become established in the battery field for applying multiscale modeling and machine-learning approaches to address interfacial heterogeneity, multimodal degradation, and various transport and mechanical phenomena across the scales.
What is your educational/career background?
I have a PhD in materials science and engineering, with a strong emphasis on atomistic modeling and simulations.
What inspired you to go into science/your field of work?
To understand the fundamental working principles of advanced technologies and gain the required knowledge to develop new technologies that will benefit human society.
What advice would you give to a new employee at the Lab?
I would recommend immersing yourself in the Lab’s cultural and working environment and being a strong team player. There are many career development opportunities offered by the Lab that the new employees can take full advantage of.
What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?
Traveling, exploring nature, sketching, playing puzzles.
Where are you from?
China
Do you support disciplines or programs outside PLS?
Global Security
September 11, 2025
What do you like about your job and/or about working at the Lab?
First and foremost, I'm very lucky to be working with an incredible team of people. I've been working at the Lab for almost 15 years now, and many of the colleagues I started out with are still part of the organization. It's great to have those connections and be able to rely on that network. I also find a lot of meaning in the work that I do. At the Laboratory, we focus on the nation's most pressing nuclear security needs and being a part of those programs and learning how we can make a difference, has been very rewarding.
What do your day-to-day work activities include?
Every day is different and there's never a dull moment! As group leader and associate program manager, I manage teams and projects. I therefore spend quite a bit of time in meetings, and even though not every meeting is equally productive, when you come up with an exciting new research idea or hear about people’s progress, it's really amazing.
What is one project you’re really proud to have worked on?
I started my career at the Laboratory focusing on particle analysis using all kinds of microanalytical techniques. So, everything related to particle analysis will always be near and dear to my heart. I'm also proud of the many international collaborations I've contributed to as part of the work we do in nuclear forensics. Helping other countries develop a nuclear forensics capability to deter nuclear smuggling is a pretty cool thing to do.
What is your educational/career background?
I have a masters in nuclear engineering and a PhD in analytical chemistry.
What inspired you to go into science/your field of work?
A physics professor inspired me. He had a good sense of humor, was great at telling stories, and made abstract physics concepts more accessible. I was intrigued by the potential of nuclear energy and how impactful it can be on various aspects of life.
What advice would you give to a new employee at the Lab?
This is going to sound cliche, but keep an open mind, talk to your colleagues and find out what interests you. It's the best way of finding projects that excite you and keep you motivated.
What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?
I have too many interests for the free time that I have. I like reading, photography, travel, and—like many Californians—I enjoy spending time outside, either going for a hike or just relaxing in the backyard. Preferably with our cat Cookie by my side.
Do you support disciplines or programs outside PLS?
Global Security
September 4, 2025
What do you like about your job and/or about working at the Lab?
The main reason that I like working at the Lab is because I get to work on projects that are equally scientifically challenging and extremely impactful towards addressing the nation's needs. Additionally, the Lab inculcates a collaborative and fun work environment that has a positive influence on my job as well as my work-life balance.
What do your day-to-day work activities include?
- Leading and managing multiple projects and tasks.
- Mentoring postdocs and early career staff (representing the PLS mentoring program).
- Performing experiments and code-development for technical activities.
- Brainstorming with staff and project leads for future collaborative proposals.
What is one project you’re really proud to have worked on?
I am the principal investigator of a project titled “Microwave Volumetric Additive Manufacturing.” We are developing an energy efficient, fast, and scalable microwave VAM (M-VAM) system that does not rely on layer-by-layer construction to print large, opaque complex ceramic parts, adopting a holistic approach that combines innovations in ceramic chemistry, microwave beamforming, and multi-scale modeling. Together with this team, we are revolutionizing 3D printing through microwave technology. The technology is being built to be able to quickly produce parts with large geometries and could be a game changer for additive manufacturing. Additionally, this technology enables the use of opaque and filled materials, which were previously challenging to work with, opening pathways toward large-format parts with enhanced material properties.
What is your educational/career background?
I have a PhD in electrical engineering with a focus on microwave hardware design and imaging algorithms.
What inspired you to go into science/your field of work?
I was naturally inclined towards science and mathematics. Good mentorship and support from my family, teachers and friends, who recognized my interest in this field encouraged me to pursue my PhD in this field. Anecdote: In my early undergraduate days, there was a healthy technical debate over whether electromagnetic radiation from cellphones would affect health of human beings. This made me incredibly inquisitive about electromagnetics, specifically towards understanding how electromagnetic fields interact with materials.
What advice would you give to a new employee at the Lab?
The Lab is a diverse workplace, and every group (sometimes every project) is its own bubble. I would advise new employees to meet new people and attend seminars and meetings outside their common work groups. That would help further understand the breadth of research done at LLNL and may also open up new avenues for you to work in. In general, be open to new, interesting ideas outside your area of expertise. I have learned a lot from these experiences.
What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?
I am a trained Indian classical singer. Most of my time outside of work is involved towards pursuing and learning this form of music.
Are you a member of any employee networking groups?
Volunteering Networking Group-Chair
How many years have you worked at the Lab?
6
Where are you from?
India
Do you support disciplines or programs outside PLS?
Global Security and Engineering
