Safe and reliable nuclear energy is vital to powering homes and industry in Canada, yet the science and technology behind it has a profound impact on human health for its use in medical isotopes to diagnosis and treat cancer patients. Markus Piro, PhD, Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Nuclear Fuel and Materials, and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, is dedicated to the development of emerging nuclear technologies to improve these patients’ quality of life, as well as the advancement of nuclear energy to produce economically feasible and environmentally conscious electricity. Dr. Piro’s extensive CRC research program explores three key areas: nuclear fuel performance and safety, spent nuclear fuel storage, and emerging nuclear technologies. His research aims to better understand industry challenges and develop mitigation strategies to improve efficiencies and the safety of nuclear reactor fuel. His research will also examine methods for the environmentally safe dispositioning of high level nuclear waste in a deep geological Canadian repository. Additionally, his research will lay the groundwork for emerging nuclear technologies including small modular reactors and Generation 4 reactors to be developed. Before joining UOIT, Dr. Piro spent three years as Head of Fuel Modelling and Fission Product Transport Section at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories in Chalk River, Ontario. He also brings international consulting experience in both aerospace and nuclear energy technology industries to UOIT. Previously, he was awarded a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at the prestigious Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he developed novel numerical algorithms to enhance the performance and robustness of a thermodynamic software library. He also conducted extensive research to support medical isotope production. His ongoing collaborations with ORNL include software development of state-of-the-art nuclear fuel performance and safety codes, as well as multiscale, multi-physics materials codes for additive manufacturing. Dr. Piro obtained both his Bachelor of Science and his Master of Science in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from Queen’s University in 2005 and 2007, respectively, and he earned his Doctorate in Nuclear Engineering at Royal Military College of Canada in 2011, all in Kingston, Ontario.