David FY 25 Innovations in Nuclear Energy Student Paper Competition Award!

Congratulations to David Russell, who was announced as a FY 25 Innovations in Nuclear Energy Student Paper Competition Award: Undergraduate Award winner! The awards recognize published graduate and undergraduate students whose work is on the leading edge of nuclear energy research.

David is a postbaccalaureate who graduated in the Fall of 2024 from the Department of Chemistry with his BS in Chemistry. He is also double majoring in Public Health and has earned a Master’s degree in Environmental and Occupational Health.

Job Opening Inorganic Postdoctoral Researcher

The Burns Research Group has two postdoc openings for highly motivated inorganic or radiochemists. The successful candidates will contribute to a variety of activities in inorganic radiochemistry including 1) the investigation into emerging radioisotopes At-211 for medical applications or 2) the development of new technologies for used nuclear fuel recycling.

Relevant Skills and Experience

  • This position requires the successful candidate to be an adept, hands-on chemist with experience in inorganic, analytical, or radiochemistry, preferably with experience either in experience in short-lived radioisotopes or in f‑element chemistry.
  • A fundamental understanding of metal coordination complexes in solution and solid phases utilization towards applications of separations processes such as solvent extraction, ion exchange, and crystallization is also desirable.
  • The ability to work in a team-oriented, interdisciplinary environment that embraces change, risk, and flexibility is needed.
  • This individual must be capable of handling multiple projects/tasks at the same time.
  • A demonstrated ability to work independently and within a team with a sense of urgency for timelines is needed.
  • The successful candidate must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • A passion and enthusiasm for innovation will be an asset.
  • Proven problem-solving skills and good interpersonal relationship and people skills will be needed.

Essential Duties:

  • Design and carry out independent research focused on inorganic radiochemistry which could include: 1) the study of At-211 binding and complexation or 2) the study of a hexavalent actinide co-crystallization separation approach.
  • Obtain and analyze data from a variety of techniques including ICP-MS, UV-VIS, radioTLC, gamma spectroscopy, LSC, etc.
  • Handle radioactive materials in a safe manner.
  • Keeps meticulous records in laboratory notebook and online data management systems and initial analysis of laboratory results.
  • Write technical reports of experimental data to meet the sponsors’ requirements and for manuscripts to be submitted for peer-reviewed journal article publication.
  • Shares responsibility with other lab members for compliance with University safety procedures and maintaining common supplies and instruments.
  • Conduct literature searches related to research projects.

Required Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. in Chemistry, preferably with experience in inorganic chemistry or radiochemistry.
  • US Citizen or Green card holder may be required depending on the project.
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • High-quality, peer-reviewed publications

Preferred Skills/Desirable Qualifications:

  • Experience with short-lived radioisotopes
  • Experience with radioTLC and HPLC
  • Experience in f-element separation
  • Experience with UV-Vis spectroscopy
  • Experience with actinide chemistry

If you are interested, please submit a Cover Letter, CV, and Research Statement to burnsjon@uab.edu

UAB News Highlighted Our Selected DOE ECRP Proposal!

Thank you to UAB News for highlighting our recent DOE Office of Science’s Early Career Research Program (ECRP)proposal, Expanding the Fundamental Understanding of At-211 Chemistry: Towards Improving Binding and Complexation, which has been selected for funding through the DOE Office of Science’s Early Career Research Program (ECRP) by the Office of Isotope R&D and Production and the DOE Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).