University’s newest Canada Research Chair to explore nuclear fuels and materials

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) strengthening research portfolio is growing again with the awarding of the university’s newest Canada Research Chair (CRC).

Markus Piro, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science joins the university’s list of faculty recognized by the CRC program as being leading national experts in their area of research. Dr. Piro will use state-of-the-art experimental and computational techniques to better understand nuclear fuel and related material behaviour. His research will lead to improved performance and safety of conventional and emerging nuclear technologies.

Funding for the CRC is valued at $500,000 over five years.

• Link to Dr. Markus Piro's Nuclear Fuels and Materials website

Dr. Piro holds a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. He earned a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Following a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Dr. Piro was Head of the Fuel Modelling and Fission Product Transport Section at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories in Chalk River, Ontario.

Quotes

“Nuclear science and technology have many positive effects on the daily lives of Canadians, ranging from reliable, safe and clean electricity generation to the production of medical isotopes for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. Through advanced modelling, high-performance computing and simulation techniques, the goal of my research is to enhance performance, safety and environmental stewardship of nuclear fuels and related materials. The benefit to Canada will be a better understanding of in-reactor nuclear fuel behaviour, long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel and greater support for emerging nuclear technologies.
-Markus Piro, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Nuclear Fuels and Materials

"The Canada Research Chairs program supports the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's capacity to contribute to the advancement of society and turn innovative ideas into real solutions. Our Chairs explore social, scientific and engineering, issues of importance to Ontario, Canada and the world.. We are very excited to support Dr. Markus Piro in his efforts to improve nuclear fuels and materials that further environmental stewardship and clean energy production."
-Jennifer Freeman, Director, Office of Research Services, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

University's Canada Research Chairs:

• Douglas Holdway, PhD – Tier 1 CRC in Aquatic Toxicology (Faculty of Science)
• Christopher Collins, PhD – Tier 2 CRC in Linguistic Information Visualization (Faculty of Science)
• Pierre Côté, PhD – Tier 2 CRC in Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (Faculty of Health Sciences)
• Janette Hughes, PhD – Tier 2 CRC in Technology and Pedagogy (Faculty of Education)
• Carolyn McGregor, PhD – Tier 2 CRC in Health Informatics (Faculty of Business and Information Technology)
• Isabel Pedersen, PhD – Tier 2 CRC in Digital Life, Media and Culture (Faculty of Social Science and Humanities)
• Markus Piro, PhD – Tier 2 CRC in Nuclear Fuels and Materials (Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science)
• Sheldon S. Williamson, PhD – Tier 2 CRC in Electric Energy Storage Systems for Transportation Electrification (Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science)

The university has three additional CRCs in development.

About the Canada Research Chairs program

Created in 2000, the Canada Research Chairs Program invests approximately $265 million per year to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds. Nearly 1,700 Canada Research Chair holders are working at over 70 post-secondary institutions across the country in a wide range of fields. Chairholders aim to achieve research excellence in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Website: chairs-chaires.gc.ca

Media contact:

Bryan Oliver
Communications and Marketing
University of Ontario institute of Technology
905.721.8668 ext. 6709
289.928.3653 (cell)
bryan.oliver@uoit.ca