PROF. ITAI PANAS,
SWEDEN

INVITED SPEAKER

Prof. Itai Panas (professor of theoretical chemistry, at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; PhD 1989, in theoretical physics Stockholm University; postdoc at University of Minnesota, supercomputer institute 1989-1990; assistant professor in Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry 1990-1996. Associate professor 1996,  Swedish Research Council senior researcher 1998-2004, professor of theoretical inorganic chemistry 1998-2008, professor of theoretical chemistry from 2008) has developed and applied atomistic 1st principles based electrochemical models and methodologies for the study of chemical processes at surfaces, interfaces and in the solid-state. Applications are mainly, but not exclusively, in the fields of electrocatalysis and high temperature corrosion. Studies of relevance to the nuclear industry include the mechanism for hydrogen pick-up in zircaloy, radionuclide sorption on piping and cladding surfaces and in crud, as well as the on-going unravelling of mechanisms for stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in nickel base alloys and radiation induced SCC. He has supervised more than 20 PhD and postdoc projects. His research is funded by the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. He has served as vice- chair of the Chalmers recruitment committee. He is a director of studies of materials science.