Nuclear Institute Pinkerton Prize Webinar

Join us on Tuesday 23rd March at 12:00 to hear from the 2019 winners of the Pinkerton Prize. Robin and Gemma who co-wrote the winning paper, 'Innovation in the aqueous recycling of spent nuclear fuels' will be speaking on their paper and answering questions at the end of the webinar. 

Winners biography:

Robin Taylor
Robin is a Senior Fellow in Actinide Chemistry at the National Nuclear Laboratory. He is a radiochemist based at Sellafield (in normal times!) and has over 25 years’ experience in actinide separations chemistry for advanced reprocessing and minor actinide partitioning. Ha has led a range of R&D projects for Sellafield, NDA and BNFL in the past, supporting diverse aspects of reprocessing, plutonium storage and wastes. Robin is currently the technical lead for the suite of “Recycle & Sustainability” projects within the BEIS-funded Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme. He has been involved in European collaborative projects for over 15 years (from framework 6 to Horizon 2020) and also collaborated with R&D teams from Japan, Russia and the US. He is the current chair of the OECD-NEA Expert Group in Fuel Recycling and Waste Technology and is also involved with the new NNL-IAEA Collaborating Centre in Advanced Fuel Cycles. Robin was editor of the book “Reprocessing and Recycling of Spent Nuclear Fuel” published in 2015. He has an Honorary Professor role at the University of Lancaster and is a member of the Editorial Board of the European Physical Journal: Nuclear.

Gemma Mathers
Gemma Mathers is a Senior Project Manager and a Customer Work Stream Lead at the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) with over 15 years’ experience managing complex projects involving multi-discipline teams across multiple sites, including responsibility for delivering work that meets the strict safety and security regulations of the nuclear industry.  She is the project manager accountable for delivery of the NNL’s “Recycle & Sustainability” projects, within the BEIS-funded Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme and is responsible for a small team of project managers to deliver this.

Gemma is also a Customer Work Stream Lead, accountable to the account director for managing NNLs portfolio of work supporting the development of radionuclides for use in both the space and medical sectors. Gemma’s portfolio has also included a number of European collaborative projects over the last decade (from framework 6 to Horizon 2020 projects) and is currently managing NNL GENIORS contribution. Gemma has delivered for a range of clients over the years including nuclear site licence operators, international research initiatives, UK government departments and within company sponsors.  This work has required her to liaise successfully with a diverse range of stakeholders across the National Laboratory, academic sector and industrial organisations and to harnesses people, knowledge, equipment and infrastructure to solve problems. 

Prior to developing her career in project management, Gemma spent 6 years working at the Sellafield nuclear licenced site developing experimental apparatus designed to improve spent fuel waste management processes, building on her early years as a technical apprentice.