Nuclear Engineering Research

Nuclear Engineering

Pioneering Research in Nuclear Science and Engineering

With a commitment to innovation and excellence, the Utah Nuclear Engineering Program (UNEP) aims to push the boundaries of multidisciplinary nuclear-related fields. UNEP’s overarching goal is to continually make strides in the advancement of multidisciplinary nuclear-related fields such as actinide synthesis, electronics nesting, energy, and more.

Our faculty understand the importance that nuclear engineering research holds for the promise of significantly shaping our society and charting the course for a sustainable and dynamic future.

UNEP

RESEARCH

+ Construction Engineering

+ Environmental Engineering

+ Geotechnical Engineering

+ Materials Engineering

+ Nuclear Engineering

+ Structural Engineering

+ Transportation Engineering

+ Water Resources

Research Areas

Nuclear Forensics
Medical Isotope Production
Nuclear Safeguards
Radiation Detection

State-of-the-Art Labs

The University of Utah's TRIGA Nuclear Reactor

About Our Nuclear Reactor

The University of Utah is one of the few institutions in the nation that houses its own nuclear reactor, right here on campus. We've been conducting research and training on the TRIGA reactor since 1975. TRIGA stands for Training, Research, Isotopes General Atomics. There are currently only 35 TRIGA reactors operating in the world, with 17 in the United States.

Having our own nuclear reactor enables us to conduct research for nuclear medicine, nuclear forensics, radiation detection, and more.

Innovative Alzheimer’s Treatment Developed at the U Featured in Journal of Nuclear Medicine

Recently, U researchers have developed innovative technique utilizing tiny particles known as alpha particles to combat Alzheimer's Disease. This method, called Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT), delivers these particles directly to the harmful areas while minimizing damage to healthy tissues.

Dr. Aidan Bender, a UNEP PhD graduate, spearheaded this pioneering research. His remarkable work is being published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, the premier journal in the field.

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Drs. Tara Mastren and Aiden Bender in the Mastren Lab

Drs. Tara Mastren and Aidan Bender

+$1.3 Million Research Award to Dr. McDonald by U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Dr. Luther McDonald‘s research has received the 2023 Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: Nuclear Forensics Research Award (NFRA), with a budget of $1,395,000 to support 36-months of laboratory experiments and student development.

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Students at Work in Dr. McDonald's Lab

Research Spotlight

Cazalas Group of Radiation Detection, Effects, and Dosimetry, (CAZ-RAD)

At the helm of the CAZ-RAD, Dr. Cazalas is dedicated advancing our understanding of nuclear and radiation interactions.

The group benefits from the extensive facility support available at the University of Utah, including the UU Nanofab Labs and the UU TRIGA Reactor (UUTR). These facilities enhance the group’s ability to conduct high-impact research. Looking ahead, the group is planning to develop a neutron source irradiation facility, further expanding their research capabilities and the potential for groundbreaking discoveries.

Researchers in this Area

Dr. Cazalas's research group (CAZ-RAD) works to understand the physics and engineering of nuclear and radiation interactions, tools, and instruments for radiation detector development, advancement of the field of dosimetry, and investigation of radiation effects. This work goes into application by supporting the fields of nuclear engineering, radiation and nuclear physics, nuclear security, and radiation damage and hardness effects in electronics.

Dr. Tara Mastren is a nuclear assistant professor in the CVEEN department. Her teaching and research interests are in nuclear medicine, which targets radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer and Alzheimer’s, lanthanide and actinide chemistry, and isotope production. Dr. Mastren tells all of our CVEEN students, “if you want to go into research science, get as much lab experience as possible.”

Dr. Sjoden’s teaching interests are numerical methods and nuclear physics. As an expert in radiation transport and nuclear reactor physics, “understanding where and how radiation interacts” in any engineering application is key. In addition, Glenn also pursues development and application of numerical algorithms for modeling novel applications, integrated engineering design, and physics-based optimization employing his proficiency in High Performance Computing (HPC).

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