David C Radford

David C Radford serves as Section Head of the Fundamental Nuclear and Particle Physics Section within the Physics Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a position he has held since December 2020. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since 2012 and has been recognized as a UT-Battelle Corporate Fellow since 2015. With over 25 years of experience at ORNL and prior work at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Dr. Radford is a leading expert in germanium detector systems for fundamental physics research.

Dr. Radford received his B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Auckland in 1974 and his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from the same institution in 1978. His early career included research positions at Yale University's Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Centre de Recherches Nucléaires in Strasbourg before his tenure at Chalk River Laboratory in Canada.

Dr. Radford's research focuses on fundamental questions in nuclear and particle physics, particularly through the development and application of advanced germanium detector systems. His work centers on neutrino physics, double-beta decay searches, and fundamental symmetry tests. As the U.S-DOE Project Director for LEGEND-1000, he leads an international effort to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay using enriched germanium detectors. This research could prove that neutrinos are their own antiparticles and help explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. His previous leadership of the Majorana Demonstrator project demonstrated the feasibility of ultra-low background techniques required for these sensitive measurements.

Analysis of Dr. Radford's recent publications (2020-2023) reveals a consistent focus on germanium detector development, background reduction techniques, and neutrino physics. His work spans detector calibration, signal processing, material science for low-background applications, and analysis of rare nuclear processes. The publications appear in leading journals including Physical Review Letters, Physical Review C, and Journal of Instrumentation, demonstrating both theoretical and experimental expertise.

• UT-Battelle Corporate Fellow (2015)
• Fellow of the American Physical Society (2006)
• Discovery Award of the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (1995)
• University of Auckland Senior Physics Prize (1976)

Dr. Radford has secured significant funding for major projects including the LEGEND-1000 experiment, which represents the next generation of neutrinoless double-beta decay searches following the successful Majorana Demonstrator. He has served as principal investigator or project director for multiple DOE-funded initiatives focused on detector development and fundamental physics measurements. His leadership extends to numerous advisory roles including chairing the GRETA Technical Advisory Committee and serving on the LEGEND Collaboration Steering Committee.

Dr. Radford leads the Fundamental Nuclear and Particle Physics Section at ORNL, which includes the Neutrinos Research Group, Neutron Symmetries Group, and Relativistic Nuclear Physics Group. His technical expertise centers on germanium detector systems, particularly for the Majorana Demonstrator and LEGEND experiments. His team develops advanced techniques for radiation detection, background rejection, and signal processing to achieve the ultra-low background environments required for rare event searches. Current work focuses on scaling these technologies for the LEGEND-1000 experiment while continuing analysis of data from previous projects.