Frank Bok

Dr. Frank Bok serves as a Researcher in the Actinide Thermodynamics Department at the Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). With a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from TU Bergakademie Freiberg (2010), he has been a research associate at HZDR since 2011, focusing on nuclear waste repository safety through thermodynamic and sorption chemistry. His work integrates database development, geochemical modeling, and experimental studies critical for German nuclear waste disposal projects.

His research centers on actinide and radionuclide behavior in geological systems, with expertise in:

• Thermodynamic database development (THEREDA, RES³T, SOREDA)
• Geochemical modeling using Geochemist's Workbench, PHREEQC, and GEMS
• Sorption mechanisms of actinides/lanthanides on mineral phases
• Radionuclide migration in nuclear waste repositories
• Biogeochemical processes affecting radionuclide mobility

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2025-2021) reveals consistent focus on uranium, neptunium, and technetium chemistry under repository-relevant conditions, with increasing integration of machine learning for EXAFS analysis and community data mining for surface complexation models.

Dr. Bok actively supervises graduate students and delivers specialized seminars on geochemical modeling at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and TU Bergakademie Freiberg. His current projects include the EU-funded RadoNorm initiative (2020-2025) and the BGE-funded SOREDA project (2022-2026), addressing radon/NORM protection and sorption database development respectively. He contributes to institutional initiatives through membership in HZDR's Digitalization Working Group, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Working Group, and the NEA's Expert Group on Repositories in Rock Salt Formations.