Dr. Katya LeBlanc

Director, Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Research Division at Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

Katya is a distinguished human factors scientist, and the director of INL’s Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Research division. She leads a team of skilled researchers who perform work in developing, implementing, and training analysis techniques for regulation of nuclear facilities, modernization and optimization of operation of nuclear power plants, and improving safety and reliability of critical infrastructure. Her own research has spanned several complex, multidisciplinary subjects including nuclear power, electric grid, human automation and human AI interaction, and cybersecurity. Her research inc nuclear power plant modernization has led to transformational change in the way field operators conduct procedures and has improved operator interfaces for controlling nuclear power plant equipment in the field and in the control room. Her cybersecurity work includes cyber risk characterization in nuclear power and critical infrastructure. She is deputy national technical director for the DOE NE advanced reactors safeguards and security program where she directs cybersecurity research. Katya has over 100 technical publications in human factors in the energy sector. She is a senior member of IEEE and holds a PhD and master’s degree in cognitive psychology from New Mexico State and a BS in psychology from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology