Howard Wilson (physicist)
Howard Read Wilson FInstP is a British physicist specialising in plasma physics and fusion energy. He is Director of Science and Technology for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme.
He was previously Professor of Plasma Physics at the University of York, where he established the York Plasma Institute, and has held senior positions at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Wilson studied physics at Durham University, graduating in 1985.[3] He became interested in fusion energy through his final-year undergraduate project.[4] He received his PhD in theoretical particle physics from the University of Cambridge in 1988.[1]
Career and research
[edit]Wilson joined the UKAEA at Culham in 1988 as a theoretical plasma physicist working on the British fusion programme. His research included plasma turbulence and edge-localized modes, instabilities which can eject heat and particles from a fusion plasma.[4]
Wilson remained at Culham until 2005, when he was appointed Professor of Plasma Physics at the University of York to establish a fusion research and training programme. In 2011, he led the establishment of the York Plasma Institute and served as its first director until 2019.[4]
In 2017, Wilson was seconded part-time to the UKAEA as Research Programme Director for its national fusion programme.[5][6] He subsequently played a leading role in developing the proposal for STEP and served as its first interim director from 2019 to 2020, before returning full-time to York.[4]
In 2023, Wilson joined Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States as Fusion Pilot Plant Research and Development Lead.[1] He returned to the United Kingdom in 2025 to become Director of Science and Technology for STEP.[2]
Wilson's research focuses on the theory and computation of magnetically confined plasmas for fusion energy. His research interests include plasma turbulence and transport, edge-localized modes and core plasma stability. He has also worked on the design of fusion devices, particularly those based on the spherical tokamak concept.[7]
Honours and awards
[edit]Wilson is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.[1] In 2011, he received a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award.[8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Two fusion energy sector leaders join ORNL". Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Prof. Howard Wilson". STEP Fusion. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ Moyes, Arthur (1996). Hatfield 1846 – 1996. Hatfield College Trust. p. 315. ISBN 0903324016.
- 1 2 3 4 "Howard Wilson: Piloting the future of fusion at ORNL". Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ "Professor Howard Wilson appointed Programme Director". Culham Centre for Fusion Energy. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ↑ "Professor Howard Wilson – Programme Director". Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ↑ "Brief Resumé: Howard Wilson" (PDF). Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ "Royal Society announces latest round of prestigious Wolfson Research Merit Awards". Royal Society. 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
External links
[edit]- Howard Wilson publications indexed by Google Scholar