Finding your future in fusion
| Dates: | 26 November 2025 |
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| Times: | All day |
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| What is it: | Talk |
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| Organiser: | Dalton Nuclear Institute |
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Watch the panel discussion via YouTube: https://youtu.be/mY5jsqafUH4?si=iJNtgFRyMbarHrie
Fusion experts who completed their PhDs as part of the Fusion Power CDT to find out about life in fusion after postgraduate studies and take part in an engaging panel session. This event explored career opportunities for early career researchers and professionals to consider, as well how a wide range of skills are required to make the commercialisation of fusion energy a reality.
Speakers:
Laura Wheatley - Laura is an Associate Fusion Engineer at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Laura has a background in Materials Science from the University of Oxford and completed her DPhil on characterisation of optimised Nb3Sn superconductors as part of the Fusion CDT programme in 2023. During her DPhil she interned at the Government Office of Science, led by Sir Patrick Vallance, and wrote a report on the spillover benefits of fusion research in the United Kingdom. She came to work for the IAEA in November 2023 as an Associate Energy Analyst, where she looked at how nuclear energy is modelled in energy systems and addressed the economics of projects producing hydrogen from existing nuclear power plants. After one year Laura moved to work as an Associate Fusion Engineer at the IAEA to focus on topics which encourage fusion technology development and deployment. Laura is engaging with topics such as, codes and standards for fusion, development of a database on technologies and fuel cycles, and supporting with the development of a fusion platform to facilitate awareness of fusion energy to all 180 IAEA member states.
Emma Hume - Emma completed her PhD at University of York, UK, on fast electron transport in ultra-intense laser interactions with nanowire targets as part of the Fusion Centre for Doctoral Training. She held a postdoctoral research position at the Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory (ILIL), INO-CNR, Italy focusing on studies of laser-plasma interactions relevant to the direct drive and shock ignition variants of inertial confinement fusion. This involved several experimental campaigns at national laboratories and collaboration with academia and private fusion companies. Recently Emma has re-joined York as a postdoctoral research assistant in experimental inertial fusion under UPLiFT, a UK programme for ICF research.
Dr Emre Yildirim - Dr. Emre is an Assistant Chief Engineer at Tokamak Energy on the US DoE Fusion Pilot Plant Programme. This involves integration of the systems from the breeder blanket to the power generation set. He started with a BEng in Nuclear Engineering and has got on to get a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Manchester on the Fusion CDT.
Stephen Biggs-Fox - Stephen is an Engineering Analyst in the Simulation Research Group at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Stephen's undergraduate degree was in physics, after which he worked for a mechanical and systems engineering consultancy, before working in scientific software development. Stephen then studied for an MSc and PhD in plasma science and fusion energy at the University of York where his thesis was on microturbulence in tokamak plasmas. Since joining UKAEA in 2021, Stephen has been leading the development of electromagnetic engineering simulation capability in support of STEP and the wider fusion industry. Stephen is also an industrial visiting academic at the University of York.
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