New UEC Members for 2026

Alex Ditter
Advanced Light Source

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I am a Beamline Scientist at the Advanced Light Source, operating Beamline 7.0.1.2, COSMIC Imaging. The ALS has been a part of my scientific career from testing a new X-ray emission spectrometer at beamline 10.3.2 in graduate school, to a postdoc in the heavy element chemistry group at LBNL focused on scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) of actinide materials, to my current position of the last two years as beamline scientist. My current interests are improving scanning methods for STXM to deliver faster scanning and utilizing phase spectroscopy to measure chemical contrast in thick or heavy samples like actinide particles and reactor steels. 

I’d like to join the UEC to help guide the ALS through the upcoming dark time. This is a critical time period to ensure that our users’ needs continue to be met and continue to offer what support we can during the dark time. Feedback from the UEC is critical to ensuring the voices of the users are heard during this time where many of us will have less regular contact with our user groups. It’s also a time to shape the future of the ALS to align with user priorities as the next wave of beamlines are planned and executed. As a beamline scientist for the ptychography beamline, I have a unique perspective to offer as ALS UEC representative as we will be going through this process earlier than other beamlines.

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Brandy Stewart
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

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As an Environmental Engineer and Scientist I am passionate about the interaction of contaminants and environmental systems and designing solutions to minimize our impact on natural settings.  I studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado and Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University where I found a niche studying soil and water contamination that satisfied a lifelong desire to work on improving the state of the environment.  Through international professional ski racing I have seen many of the planet’s most beautiful and pristine sites, providing continued motivation to seek solutions to pressing environmental problems.  I have worked as an environmental consultant on mining projects and as a research scientist at Montana State University and the University of Minnesota. 

I am currently based at SSRL as a part of the Synchrotron Earth and Environmental Science program (SEES) where I work to recruit and educate new members in the Earth and Environmental Science synchrotron community.  As a laboratory and field-based experimentalist, synchrotron-based spectroscopy tools are an integral part of my research.  A regular user at the ALS, I am familiar with the user experience and intend to draw on that insight and perspective as a member of the UEC to ensure the best possible experimental experience for users in the future.

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I am currently a Senior Scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science and a Visiting Scientist at the Fritz Haber Institute, two leading overseas research centers. With 12 years as an ALS user, I bring a perspective shaped by postdoc work, hands-on user support, running both remote and in-person experiments, and leading a group whose members I’ve sent to ALS. I’ve worked closely with beamline scientists, engineers, technicians, the User Office, facility management, and other stakeholders, giving me a clear view of what helps users succeed and where processes can be improved.

On the UEC, my priority will be to represent users based outside California, making ALS more accessible to them and their research by strengthening remote capabilities, simplifying logistics, and advocating for equitable scheduling and support. I will also help lead constructive, solutions-oriented discussions among users, ALS scientists, and management about what can be done during the ALS-U upgrade to keep projects moving (through enhanced communication, training, and analysis support) so we restart stronger together. I aim to foster a two-way, collaborative environment between ALS and its user community so that facility priorities and services are guided by the diverse user needs and experiences.

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Harry Lisabeth
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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I am a Research Scientist in the Energy Geosciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where my work focuses on coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geomaterials. My research integrates in situ X-ray micro- and nano-tomography, synchrotron diffraction, and image-based modeling to understand deformation, fluid transport, and chemical reactions relevant to geothermal energy, geological storage, and planetary science. I have been an ALS user since 2017, primarily at beamlines 8.3.2 and 11.3.1, and collaborate widely across interdisciplinary programs.

As the ALS transitions toward the ALS-U upgrade, I am committed to representing the diverse needs of the geoscience, energy, and planetary materials communities. I aim to strengthen interdisciplinary engagement across spectroscopy, diffraction, and imaging users; improve data accessibility and integration with modeling workflows; and help new users leverage the advanced capabilities of the upgraded source. My goal is to ensure the ALS remains a premier, inclusive hub for high-impact, cross-disciplinary science.

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Simruthi Subramanian
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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I am a Senior Research Associate at the Molecular Foundry and an active ALS user on Beamlines 3.2.1, 3.3.1, 2.0.1, and 5.0.2. My research includes irradiating 3D normal and tumorigenic mammary epithelial cell models as well as applying X‑ray footprinting mass spectrometry and crystallography to irradiated proteins. The overarching goals of my research are to uncover the residue‑level chemistry and biological mechanisms that underlies the FLASH effect, a new emerging field in radiotherapy oncology. My radiobiology work includes preforming colony and live-cell assays using fluorescent stains to monitor colony formation, cellular stress, cell cycle arrest, and DNA damage, by employing the CellInsight CX7 for high content screening and high throughput analyses.  From this work, normal tissue sparing and tumor death were observed for breast cancer spheroids exposed to high dose rate radiation compared to conventional radiation. LCMS/MS analysis on proteins allows for oxidation mapping, conformational changes, and activity analyses. Through collaborative ALS projects in both structural biology and radiobiology, attending conference presentations, mentoring interns and visiting scholars, I have seen first-hand how powerful targeted support can be to ALS users with their investigations.

As an ALS UEC Member nominee, I will advocate for practical, user‑driven improvements, transparent scheduling and proposal mentoring. A large focus of my time will be towards promoting a more collaborative space between the ALS and the rest of Berkeley Lab’s campus. Tighter integration between ALS beamlines and Molecular Foundry capabilities for sample preparation, imaging, and high throughput analyses will be my primary goal. I care deeply about inclusive mentorship and a welcoming community, with structured onboarding that lowers barriers for early‑career and underrepresented users. I will bring a listening‑first approach, regular communication, and clear accountability to the UEC—aiming to reduce friction, raise data quality, and accelerate impactful interdisciplinary science at the ALS.

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