SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Showing 1,101-1,120 of 1,900 Results
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Derek Mendez
Staff Scientist, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Current Role at StanfordComputational staff scientist at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), in the Macromolecular Crystallography group (Structural and Molecular Biology division).
Main activities revolve around a 3 year BRaVE-funded project to build a new X-ray resource for the acceleration of medicines development (XMeD). Active in-silico areas of research are in the characterization of crystallization outcomes, virtual and experimental screening of ligands, in-silico methods for lead molecule optimization, and extremely sensitive absorption profile characterization using machine learning techniques. A major computational goal is to determine the most valuable tools (and develop new ones) for future XMeD users.
Beyond XMeD, we are focusing on using GPUs and machine learning models to accelerate processing and characterization of user diffraction data that is collected at SSRL beamlines 12-1, 12-2, 14-1, and 9-2. In addition, we are aiming to make available to users new methods that process X-ray diffraction data at the pixel-level in order to extract more information to better resolve structural changes in proteins arising from e.g., binding events and light/chemical driven dynamics.
We are also partnering with NERSC to build a framework for our beamline users to offload computationally intensive jobs to the Perlmutter GPU cluster. -
Despina Milathianaki
Development Manager, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
BioDespina is the director of the Office of Technology Transfer and Strategic Partnerships, in the organization of the SLAC Deputy Director for Science and Technology. She and her team help accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research into transformative technologies and solutions through collaborations with industry, academia, and government partners. Before her current role, Despina served as senior director for Department of Energy partnerships in the quantum computing industry establishing important R&D efforts between the private sector and the national labs. Prior roles in the private sector included management consulting for Accenture UK and engineering for a Silicon valley startup. Despina first joined SLAC in 2010 as a staff scientist at the Linac Coherent Light Source investigating materials science at extreme conditions. She later transitioned to strategic planning where she served as the director of strategic planning and investment for SLAC. Despina holds a Bachelor's in Physics from Imperial College London and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan. She completed her PhD in High Energy Density Physics at the University of Texas at Austin, conducting research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
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Christopher J. Miller
Postdoctoral Scholar, Photon Science, SLAC
BioI am a chemist and Postdoctoral Scholar at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where my research focuses on the core challenges of electrochemical energy conversion and sustainable chemistry. Working within the DOE BETO CO2RUe consortium, I investigate the dynamic behavior of catalysts in CO₂ electrolyzers. My primary approach involves using advanced operando characterization techniques, particularly X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), to build comprehensive models that link a catalyst's atomic-scale structure to its real-world device performance.
My philosophy is that progress requires bridging fundamental science with practical systems engineering. To that end, my expertise includes the ground-up design, construction, and automation of experimental systems. I specialize in building fully integrated electrochemical test stations and gas delivery infrastructure, tailored to deliver high-quality, reproducible data with robust safety features and remote-operation capabilities. Complementing this hardware, I develop custom MATLAB software suites to automate data processing and analysis, significantly accelerating the path from raw data to actionable scientific insight.
In addition to my research, I am deeply committed to education and professional service. As a recent fellow in Stanford's Preparing Future Professors (PFP) program, I received formal training in pedagogy and gained direct mentorship experience at San Jose State University. This commitment extends to the broader scientific community through my long-standing leadership roles within the American Chemical Society (ACS), where I contribute to governance, chemical safety initiatives, and professional development for younger chemists. I am always interested in discussing new collaborations at the intersection of spectroscopy, catalysis, and system design.
