We have two candidates for CINS President; Dr. Zahra Yamani and Dr. Pat Clancy. They have been invited to provide a statements in support of their candidacy. See statements below.
Zahra Yamani
Senior Research Scientist, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
The closure of the NRU reactor marked a turning point for neutron scattering in Canada. Chalk River was more than a neutron source: it was a research hub where staff built and operated instruments, supported users, and collaborated with researchers who relied on its facilities and expertise as extensions of their laboratories. It anchored Canada’s neutron-scattering legacy, from Bertram Brockhouse’s Nobel Prize-winning work to advances across physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, biophysics, the life sciences and industry.
The loss of NRU left Canada without a domestic high-flux, high-capacity neutron-scattering facility. Sustaining research now depends on international access, complementary capabilities at home, and a connected community able to retain its expertise and help shape what comes next. CINS has a central role in that work.
McMaster’s growing neutron-scattering capabilities and the proposed Canada Prototype Compact Accelerator-based Neutron Source (PC-CANS) could strengthen the domestic research base, although neither can replace a high-flux facility. Access to international laboratories remains essential as Canada considers the longer-term possibility of a high-flux multipurpose research reactor. These different pathways need to reflect the scientific breadth of our community and the instrument capabilities, user support and access arrangements required for competitive research.
I joined Chalk River as a postdoctoral fellow more than 20 years ago and later served as an instrument scientist, conducting triple-axis and other neutron-scattering experiments and contributing to instrument development and user support. My experimental work at international facilities, together with my service as a Member-at-Large of the Neutron Scattering Society of America, has broadened my perspective on facility access and the role of scientific societies in representing their members.
Education and training have been central to my work. I have organized and taught neutron-scattering schools and graduate courses combining lectures, experiments and data analysis. During the pandemic, when laboratories were inaccessible, I organized a virtual school using experimental simulations. This experience demonstrated how creative approaches can broaden access to training while reinforcing the value of hands-on work with instruments and experienced scientists.
If elected president, I would work with CINS members to strengthen the Institute’s role as a trusted scientific voice and ensure that our collective needs remain visible as Canada’s neutron-scattering capabilities evolve. Together, we can ensure that CINS’s priorities for instruments, techniques, user support and access continue to reflect the evolving needs of established and emerging research communities. This would position CINS to provide informed, balanced perspectives on existing facilities, international partnerships and future neutron sources.
I would also build on the Institute’s education and outreach activities by supporting hands-on schools, virtual learning, mentorship and connections between students and experimental research. Greater engagement across disciplines and career stages, including with industry, can sustain the expertise and collaborations needed for today’s facilities and those of the future.
CINS’s strength lies in its members. I would be honoured to serve as president and work with the community to sustain neutron-scattering research in Canada and expand opportunities for the next generation.
Pat Clancy
Associate Professor, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University
Deputy Director, Canadian Neutron Beam Laboratory
It is a pleasure to stand in the election for the next President of the Canadian Institute for Neutron Scattering. I have been involved in CINS for almost 25 years, and it has had a significant impact on my scientific career. In fact, it was attending the CINS Neutron Scattering Summer School at Chalk River that originally led me into condensed matter physics as an undergraduate.
I believe CINS has a crucial role to play in expanding, unifying, and advocating on behalf of the Canadian neutron user community. We are entering a very important period for CINS, following the success of several major CFI awards, the launch of a new user program at the Canadian Neutron Beam Laboratory, and new international partnerships with neutron research facilities in the US and Europe. This is an ideal opportunity for CINS to grow our national user community, expand our outreach and training activities, and strengthen our role in lobbying for the future of Canadian neutron science.
I am strongly committed to the success of the Canadian neutron scattering community. Neutron scattering plays an essential role in my research program at McMaster, where my group specializes in the study of novel quantum materials, such as high-Tc superconductors, frustrated magnets, and low-dimensional systems. Our research depends upon access to both neutron diffraction and neutron spectroscopy, and we routinely perform experiments at the CNBL, Oak Ridge National Lab, the NIST Center for Neutron Research*, ISIS, and the ILL. I am well aware of both the opportunities and the challenges facing many Canadian neutron users.
I have a strong record of service to CINS and the Canadian neutron scattering community. I have served on both the CINS Science Council (2018-2020) and the CINS Board of Directors (2020-present). I have organized several previous CINS meetings at McMaster, and helped to launch the CINS virtual seminar series during the COVID pandemic. I served on the committee that helped to produce the Canadian Neutron Long-Range Plan for 2025-2035, and have played a key role in the development of domestic neutron scattering capabilities at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. I am the co-PI on the 2025 CFI project “Building a Future for Canadian Neutron Scattering, Part 2” and currently serve as the Deputy Director of the Canadian Neutron Beam Laboratory.
CINS has played an important role throughout my career, and it would be an honour to give back by helping to lead the organization through this exciting period. I believe we have a tremendous opportunity to build a stronger, more connected, and more sustainable Canadian neutron scattering community, and I would be proud to work with the members of CINS to make that vision a reality.