In addition to his new role, Dr. Neaton will continue with his research program.

Dr. Neaton is a computational materials theorist and currently leads a group of staff scientists, postdoctoral associates, graduate students and undergraduates at the Foundry. His current research interests center on computational nanoscience, in particular the development and application of methods for calculating the structural, spectroscopic, and transport properties of inorganic and molecular nanostructures, particularly at interfaces and contacts. Dr. Neaton is active in multiple DOE-sponsored programs, including the Helios Solar Energy Research Center and Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis at Berkeley Lab, and the Energy Frontier Research Centers at Cornell and UC Berkeley.

He was a 2009 recipient of the Presidential Early Career for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Award.