Dr. Christian Petrie is the Interim Section Head for the Nuclear Fuel Development Section, managing > 60 technical staff focused on advancing the future of nuclear energy by accelerating how the U.S. develops, tests, and qualifies fuels and materials for currently operating and next-generation reactors. His research spans a wide range of areas including accelerated fuel qualification, advanced manufacturing, irradiation testing, and sensor integration. Dr. Petrie is driving new innovations in nuclear science and technology through scientific output, industry engagement, and organizational and programmatic leadership. He is responsible for the conception and commissioning of several unique separate-effects irradiation vehicles in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) that target important phenomena specific to advanced nuclear fuels, fuel cladding materials, and sensors. Dr. Petrie is a leading expert on fiber-optic sensors for nuclear applications. He has demonstrated sensors for measuring reactor conditions (e.g., spatially distributed temperature and strain, pressure, corrosion, gamma heating, and liquid level); embedded sensors in metal and ceramic materials using various additive manufacturing processes; and published many papers on the performance of fiber-optic sensors under extreme nuclear reactor–relevant environments. He holds numerous programmatic leadership roles within the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), and has received many awards for his professional service.
