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DR. DAVID HOLCOMB

Chief Technical Officer | Co-Founder

Personal Experience & Biography

Nuclear engineer and globally recognized molten salt reactor (MSR) expert with a 30-year career leading advanced reactor design, safety, and instrumentation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A Battelle Distinguished Inventor and former national technical lead for MSRs and I&C at the U.S. Department of Energy, he has shaped modern standards, safety frameworks, and evaluation methods for next-generation reactors. David has advised U.S. and international regulatory bodies, authored foundational MSR methodologies, and led major research collaborations across government, academia, and industry.

Leadership Strengths

  • World-leading expertise in molten salt reactor design & safety
  • Advanced reactor instrumentation, controls, and qualification methods
  • Regulatory strategy & advisory support (NRC, DOE, Gen-IV)
  • Standards development & industry frameworks (ANS, ANSI/ANS 20.2)
  • International technical leadership and cross-agency coordination

Nuclear Expert

  • Former DOE National Technical Lead for MSRs and I&C for advanced reactors
  • Battelle Distinguished Inventor with 15 patents in reactor systems and instrumentation
  • Chaired the team that produced the first-ever design safety standard for liquid-fueled MSRs
  • Lead author of the NRC’s groundbreaking liquid salt fuel qualification methodology (NUREG/CR)
  • Directed MSR design evaluations, safety frameworks, and PIRT methodologies across U.S. and international programs
  • Longtime ORNL MSR Workshop Chair and advisor to major global reactor initiatives