The House Science & National Labs Caucus and the Senate National Labs Caucus are sponsoring the inaugural National Lab Research SLAM. The event has been scheduled for March 5, 2025, 4:30 pm-6:00 pm ET at the Congressional Auditorium in Washington, D.C.
This event will be live-streamed here, at nlresearchslam.org
At the National Lab Research SLAM, 17 early career scientists will deliver a compelling three-minute talk about their research in a format understandable to a general audience. Finalists will compete for 'Best Presentation' in their respective scientific category listed below. A 'People's Choice' winner will also be decided by the in-person and virtual audience. Voting information will be shared during the event.
Presentation Order by Category
First Category
National Laboratory researchers ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the nation's nuclear deterrent and address emerging threats to geopolitical stability.
Presentation Order:
Nathan Baeckeland, NREL - “The grid of the future: still stable… or shaky?”
Bethany Dean-Kersten, ANL - "From waste to watts: recycling nuclear fuel"
Olivia Pimentel, LANL - "Packaging the Black Death: macro problem, nano solution”
Yumary Vasquez, LBNL - "These viruses are going viral (and protecting our ecosystems, too!)"
Second Category
National Laboratory researchers pursue technological solutions that provide abundant, affordable, and reliable sources of energy and support energy infrastructure.
Presentation Order:
Nicholas Cross, LLNL - "Predicting critical failure in next-generation batteries"
Eugene Engmann Jr., INL - "Electrochemical symptoms help diagnose battery health"
Krista Kulesa, PNNL - "Conducting chemical reactions: the symphony of electrochemistry"
Yufan Xu, PPPL - "Can Terminator 2 help humanity unlock unlimited fusion power?"
Third Category
National Laboratory researchers harness world-class expertise, facilities, and research programs to achieve fundamental science breakthroughs.
Presentation Order:
Astrid Anker, SLAC - "Finding a needle in a radioactive haystack"
Colleen Hilla, SRNL - "Accelerating progress: materials of the future"
Chaochao Pan, Ames - "Strong, cheap, and fast: magnets by hot rolling"
Pia Jones Petrak, JLab - "What particles are there?"
Ejiro Umaka, BNL - "Jetting through the Big Bang's quark soup"
Karolina Wresilo, Fermilab - "Seeing the invisible: can neutrinos explain the origins of the universe?"
Fourth Category
National Laboratory researchers highlight emerging scientific and technological solutions that promote environmental management and stewardship.
Presentation Order:
Huixin (Anna) Jiang, ORNL - "Antimicrobial air filters: your indoor guardian"
Kristyn Johnson May, NETL - "Unleashing AI innovation: accelerating energy technologies"
Michael Leveille, SNL - "Blend green and flow clean: hydrogen in gas pipelines"
We are pleased to announce our emcee for the event is renowned expert in research communication Dr. Jean-luc Doumont.