Michel Sassi

Michel Sassi obtained his Ph.D. in France in 2010 from Aix-Marseille University. His research work focused on quantifying inter-molecular and molecule-substrate interactions of self-assembled 2D molecular films adsorbed on metallic substrates. From 2010 to 2014, Dr. Sassi joined the Nanochemistry Research Institute (NRI) at Curtin University (Perth, Western Australia, Australia) where his research focused on developing a fundamental understanding of the effects of radioactive decay in nuclear related materials and small (bio)molecules. This led him to develop a unique way of using first principles simulations to understand and predict the physical, chemical, and structural consequences of radionuclide transmutation following radioactive decay. In 2014, Dr. Sassi joined PNNL and has been providing expertise in the areas of interface chemistry, earth and nuclear materials science. Dr. Sassi is a versatile computational expert who has built his reputation by solving interdisciplinary problems in chemistry, physics, geochemistry, environmental, nuclear and materials science. His research is centered on developing a fundamental understanding of the chemical and physical processes that drive the properties of diverse materials, and how these processes affect their interactions with the environment. In the geochemistry area, Dr. Sassi employs ab initio simulations to investigate the reactivity at the mineral-fluid interface encompassing molecular adsorption, surface configuration and defects, as well as determining the structure, relative thermodynamics, and phase transitions between different mineral phases. In nuclear materials related areas, his research focuses on understanding radiation induced defects, microstructure evolution, quantification of the effect of radioactive transmutation in condensed matter and in molecules, and chemical kinetics.