Integrated Project Delivery Centre (IPDC)

Koby is a licensed Professional Engineer (2014) in Ontario, where he graduated with a B.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering in 2009. Based at Queen’s University, Koby is the Engineering & Technical Director, where he oversees the IPDC and supervises and mentors the MI-Queen’s engineering/technical hub. Working in close collaboration with research scientists and technical staff, Koby brings extensive experience in design, fabrication, and installation of custom components and infrastructure required for sensitive astroparticle detectors. Koby has delivered engineering solutions and oversight for numerous experiments – such as DEAP-3600, PICO-500, NEWS-G, CUTE – supporting the full lifecycle from the conceptual phase through to construction and commissioning. With over 15 years of experience, some of Koby’s primary contributions include:

• Led the design, fabrication, and construction plans for much of the DEAP-3600 detector, including: 255 PMT mounts, nearly 500 filler blocks, stainless steel glove box, neck cooling systems and vacuum jacketed neck, detector neck support, custom vacuum jacketed cryogenic piping, and sanding robot components.
• Technical Coordinator for NEWS-G at SNOLAB, leading engineering, fabrication, transportation logistics, and construction efforts to integrate the spherical copper vessel, 30-tonne lead shield, 15-tonne polyethylene shield, and the experiment’s seismic isolation platform.
• Led the engineering, fabrication, and installation planning for CUTE infrastructure at SNOLAB, including the water shield tank, structural platform, overhead monorail crane, clean room, cryostat support, and lead and polyethylene shields.
• Systems Engineering Lead for PICO-500, responsible for the overall engineering of project mechanical systems. Engineer of Record for the 10,000 L pressure vessel, responsible for design, ASME Code and TSSA regulatory compliance, overpressure protection, and development and coordination of underground welding and installation. Also responsible for the Fire Hazard Analysis for the experiment, and design of the inner quartz vessel and hermetic sealing system.

Jonathan completed his B.A.Sc. (2019) and M.A.Sc. (2021) in Engineering Physics at Queen’s University and obtained his Ontario P.Eng. in 2025. Jonathan is an Intermediate Design Engineer and was the interim MI-Queen’s mechanical engineering hub manager in summer 2023. He brings expertise in systems engineering and cryogenics, and works to perform engineering calculations, design components, assist with the fabrication, assembly and testing of equipment, and give technical advice and mentorship to technical staff and students. Some highlights from Jonathan’s contributions include:

• Leading contributor to technical design documentation for PICO-500 and SBC experiments, especially in development of process designs and process hazard analyses, overpressure protection and detector installation planning.
• External reviewer for complex process and fluid flow problems (SNOLAB cryogenic distillation column review, Darkside-20k CFD paper review).
• Leading contributor to the design and public procurement of the helium liquefier and plant at Queen’s University. Led the design of the plant layout, designed and constructed the gas return system, and led efforts to debug and commission the system.
• As a side-project, Jonathan developed and delivered a new cryogenics course for undergraduate engineering physics students at Queen’s University in 2026

Naman is an engineer who works at the junction of science and engineering. He has a solid foundation in mechanical design, analysis, and system development. With a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, he has expertise with intricate mechanical assemblies, experimental systems, and meticulous design work. He is skilled in engineering analysis, CAD-based design, and converting theoretical specifications into workable, manufacturable solutions. He has worked on multidisciplinary projects that require close collaboration with scientists, technicians, and engineers. He is especially interested in finding solutions to difficult technical challenges where reliability, performance, and attention to detail are crucial. He appreciates contributing engineering solutions that support cutting-edge scientific research and is driven by curiosity and lifelong learning.

Mackenzie is an engineering designer who obtained her degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Guelph. She joined the engineering team at the McDonald Institute shortly after and couldn’t imagine a better place to work! She has supported projects such as PICO-500, where she helped to design and fabricate the freon control panel and the insulation and heaters, and the KDK silicon drift detector upgrade, where she helped with redesigning the detector head. One of Mackenzie’s favourite parts of the job is collaborating with colleagues and learning from the interdisciplinary nature of some tasks. In her free time, Mackenzie enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and playing sports, with some occasional creative problem solving at home!

Armin, a creature of logic and curiosity, is a mechanical designer and a plant, DIY, woodworking, and running enthusiast. He’s currently contributing to the engineering phases of cutting-edge (astroparticle-)physics experiments and has worked on projects like PICO-500, P-One, Helix, and KDK+. He received his BSc in Mechanical Engineering, worked in the steel industry, and then moved to Canada for graduate studies. After earning his MSc, he continued as a research assistant at McGill until he found his dream job at MI. There, he focuses on mechanical design, CAD modeling, FEA and numerical simulation, and prepares design reports and presentations, while actively building engineering expertise and learning from technical experts and scholars. 🤟

Nicholas Moss is among the engineering designers on the McDonald Institute’s engineering team. A 2020 graduate of McMaster University with a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering and Society. His past work experiences have primarily involved R&D engineering work in the food and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries, as well as design work in machine shops. A tinkerer at heart, he’s always curious about how and why things work, and strives to understand things from the ground up. He is pursuing a P.Eng. through PEO. Outside of work he is a proponent of maker culture and sustainable design as well as a DIY enthusiast with a host of hobbies including (but not limited to) hiking, biking, Dungeons & Dragons, kayaking, salvage and restoration, and freediving.

Rob is a Mechanical Engineering Technologist with extensive carpentry expertise and a strong background in the fabrication and assembly of mechanical components for astroparticle physics experiments. His contributions include the construction of a researcher cleanrooms, the assembly of a 30-ton lead, copper, and polyethylene shield for the G3 experiment at Queen’s University, the assembly of complex fluid handling systems, and the erection of support fixtures for experimental apparatus. Additionally, Rob is responsible for careful cleaning, packaging, and custom fabrication of shipping crates to ensure safe transport of sensitive components. He is also trained to operate orbital welding equipment and the radon emanation measurement system at Queen’s.

Jeff is a licensed tool and die maker and a proficient CNC machinist. Jeff has over fifteen years of experience in CNC mill and lathe work in prototyping and small production runs with Nuformex in Kingston and previously in aerospace machining with Centra Industries in Kitchener. He trained in mechanical engineering, tool and die, and CNC machining at Georgian College in Barrie and Conestoga College in Kitchener. Jeff coordinates his projects with the Engineering & Technical Director of the McDonald Institute at Queen’s and is excited to tackle the technical challenges of astroparticle experiments.

Jeff’s passion for the outdoors and farming brought him and his family to the Kingston area 4 years ago, where they started a small hobby farm with horses, guinea pigs and bunnies. In his off time, Jeff enjoys fishing, tending to the farm, and coaching his daughter’s hockey teams.

Mike is an Electronics Engineering Technologist and 4th Class Power Engineer at the University of Alberta. Mike provides diverse expertise in the design, production, assembly, and testing of electronics (including circuit design/simulation, PCB design, supply chain/manufacturing, coding, DAQ). Some of Mike’s highlighted contributions include:

• Designed a low-radioactivity flexible PCB heating system for PICO-500, comprised of 150+ temperature sensors and 1.8km of interlaced copper heating traces. Also designed a programmable gain piezo preamplifier on a flexible PCB to fit within a custom copper enclosure and allow for acoustic measurements under varying operating conditions. PCB outlines were designed by MI-Queen’s mechanical engineering designer Mackenzie Dean.
• For PICO-500, designed backplane PCBs for the PLC control racks that enforce organization and enhance troubleshooting, while meeting the complex needs of the system.
• Led the design and production of key electrical components for P-ONE, including the preamplifier and filter PCBs for the acoustic positioning system, published in JINST (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-0221/20/07/P07003), and the preamp PCBs for the SiPM based Muon In-Situ Tracker (MIST).

David completed his BSc (Hons) in physics with Astrophysics in 2001 and his Doctorate in 2010 from the University of Sussex. David’s expertise is testing hardware for neutrino and dark matter detectors. He has split his time between SNOLAB and the University of Alberta, where he has worked closely with students, technical staff, and faculty on the projects. Some of David’s contributions over the last 20 years include:

• Monitoring the gain of the PMTs in MINOS detectors via the single photoelectron peak. 
• Maintained and calibrated the EXO-200 veto detectors.
• Working to bring a tagged scandium source for the SNO+ detector to investigate the tails of the electronic responses.
• Helped with the development and deployment of the device for removing particulates from the liquid argon for the DEAP-3600 experiment.
• Helped with devices that clean the PICO-500 experiment’s inner vessel and helped with the assembly of the inner vessel.

A professional engineer with an advanced degree in Aeronautical Engineering with more than 30 years of diversified industrial experience in design, research and development of wind tunnels, experimental rig testing, gas turbines, air turbines, heat exchangers, liquefaction systems, package boilers, deaerators and lean manufacturing. Proven ability in managing multi-million-dollar projects. Adjunct professor at Waterloo University (2011-2014).

EDUCATION:

Ph.D. Aeronautical Engineering, UK
M.Sc.Cryogenics and its application, UK
B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, UK

John is a results-driven Project Manager with over 15 years of electromechanical, cleanroom, and operational leadership experience in high-precision research and manufacturing environments. His experience is focused on process design with Lean methodologies, optimizing production throughput, strengthening quality control systems, and leading cross-functional technical teams to deliver complex projects safely, on schedule, and within budget. Highlights of experience include:

• Led a team of technicians in the production of 216 high-precision sTGC muon spectrometer detectors for the Phase-1 upgrade of the ATLAS experiment at CERN.  
• Managed the research and development and implementations of conductive and wavelength shifting polymers for Proto-0 and Darkside-20k.

Leanne brings over seven years of research management experience to TRIUMF. She majored in Biochemistry at McGill University and completed additional postgraduate studies in biochemistry, data science, and project management. She previously worked as a Lab Manager and Wing Manager within the UBC Life Sciences Institute from 2017 to 2024. At TRIUMF, Leanne is the Astroparticle Physics Facility Manager, overseeing the operation of several detector testing and characterization facilities. 

Mathieu Laurin – McDonald Institute

Roger is an Electronics Engineer-in-Training who has focused on detector analog readout, mainly focused on microelectronics design. Roger has worked on every step of the process of making an ASIC: design, layout, fabrication, and testing. Roger has skills in CMOS design, analog microelectronics, LabVIEW, PCB design, and SiPM readout.

Ryan is a Professional Engineer (2009) in Ontario. He graduated with a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Carleton University in 2004. Ryan is a Senior Design Engineer with over 20 years of experience in engineering in both industrial and research environments. Ryan has extensive experience with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, thermodynamics, flight testing, field testing, troubleshooting, manufacturing, cryogenics, vacuum system design, mechanical design, 3D Printing, and process design. Some highlights of his experiences are:

• 14 years at WR Davis Engineering working on design, simulation, testing and certification of Infrared Suppression Systems for naval vessels and both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
• Design, installation, and commissioning of the Argon 1 experiment at Carleton University.
• Senior Engineering advisor and lead design engineer for components of the DEAP-3600 hardware upgrades.
• Lead Engineer for the specification, procurement and commissioning of the LN2 plant and circulation system at Carleton University.

Sam is a detector technologist at the University of Victoria with expertise in FPGA firmware development with FPGAs. He has a PhD from the University of Victoria in experimental particle physics. His extensive experience includes both Xilinx and Altera workflows, the two largest FPGA manufacturers. Projects to date involved writing firmware using both the VHDL and Verilog hardware description languages. Projects are installed on advanced FPGA platforms, such as the ALTERA Agilex and the Xilinx Kintex and Virtex platforms. Projects that Sam is making and has made significant and substantial contributions to are:

• Developing firmware for the liquid argon off-detector electronics (LASP) for ATLAS’ phase II upgrade. In particular, implementing multi gigabit transceiver interfaces for receiving data from the front-end electronics and sending data to the trigger systems and data acquisition. Also designing a firmware module to align incoming data to ensure data from the same timestamp is analyzed together. He has verified and certified firmware from other developers as part of the QA/QC process for the ATLAS firmware repository.
• Implemented firmware support for calibration LEDs in the HyperK experiment’s multi-PMTs (mPMTs). This firmware allows a user to precisely (to 4 ns precision) specify a timestamp to start a LED flashing sequence, the number of flashes in a sequence, and the interval between subsequent flashes.
• Developed firmware for a CAEN V1495 FPGA module, which used for customizable and complex trigger logic, gating, and delays in the Water Cherenkov Test Experiment (WCTE) at CERN in 2025, a prototype experiment for HyperK’s Intermediate Water Cherenkov Detector (IWCD).