Katya LeBlanc
Director, Regulatory Research and Plant Optimization Division
Idaho National Laboratory
Katya is a distinguished human factors scientist and Director of Idaho National Laboratory's Regulatory Research and Plant Optimization Division. She leads teams of skilled researchers who are developing, implementing, and delivering training on analysis techniques for nuclear facility regulation, modernization and optimization of nuclear power plant operations, and improving the safety and reliability of critical infrastructure. Her own research spans several complex, multidisciplinary areas, including nuclear power, the electric grid, human-automation and human-AI interaction, and cybersecurity. Her work on nuclear power plant modernization has driven transformational change in how field operators conduct procedures and has improved operator interfaces for controlling plant equipment both in the field and in the control room. Her cybersecurity research includes cyber risk characterization for nuclear power and critical infrastructure. She has also served as the Deputy National Technical Director for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy's Advanced Reactor Safeguards and Security program, where she led cybersecurity research. Katya has authored more than 100 technical publications on 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 University, as well as a BS in psychology from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
