Mohammad Allaf

Mohammad Amer Allaf serves as a Scientist in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics within the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, holding joint appointments in the Heat Transfer and Safety Analysis Laboratory (HEATS) and the Reactor Technology Integration Group (ReTI). He joined the university as a Research Associate in July 2023. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering and Management from The University of Tokyo in 2022, focusing on the design and safety evaluation of the novel multipurpose micro research reactor cooled by heat pipes (MRR-HP). He also earned an M.Sc. in Energy Science and Technology from Istanbul Technical University and a B.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from Hacettepe University. Prior to UW-Madison, he worked as a Project Researcher in the Visualization Lab of the Okamoto-Miwa group at The University of Tokyo, investigating plasmonic microbubble generation using nanosecond pulsed-lasers.

Dr. Allaf teaches Nuclear Reactor Engineering at UW-Madison and mentors graduate students in neutronics–thermal hydraulics coupling, post-critical heat flux modeling, and machine-learning applications for nuclear safety analyses. His research interests include developing multiphysics models for microreactors, studying the impact of innovative fuel technologies in advanced and traditional light water reactors for improved efficiency and accident progression, and assessing the lifecycle of materials in fusion devices. He possesses strong expertise in MELCOR, MOOSE-based modules, Monte-Carlo radiation transport codes, CFD, high-speed visualization, and laser applications. Key publications comprise "Conceptualization of the micro research reactor cooled by heat pipes (MRR-HP), Part-I: neutronics analyses" (2022), "Part-II: safety analyses" (2023), "Feasibility assessment of power uprating in NuScale power module" (2026), "Quantifying the Influence of Parameters on Heat Release Rate in Electrical Cabinet Fires" (2025), "Investigating the Role of Accident Tolerant Cladding on Source Term Reduction for High-Burnup PWRs Using MELCOR" (2025), and contributions to Nuclear Technology, AIP Advances, ACS Omega, Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, and Fire Technology. In 2025, he was awarded by the College of Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) for exceptional mentorship, aiding students in achieving publications and presentations at conferences such as the ANS Annual Conference and NURETH.

Professional Email: allaf@wisc.edu